Parties Agree to Settle the Shop-Vac MDL
Parties Agree to Settle the Shop-Vac MDL
April 1, 2016, Faruqi & Faruqi LLP, with co-counsel Lax LLP; Milberg LLP; and Lite DePalma Greenberg LLC, asked the United Stated District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania to preliminarily approve a settlement on behalf of Shop-Vac’s vacuum purchasers.
This case originated from numerous 2012 lawsuits alleging that Shop-Vac overstated the “peak horsepower” ratings and the tank capacity of its vacuums. These lawsuits were consolidated in Pennsylvania.
The Faruqi firm and co-counsel engaged in a four-year, hard-fought litigation which consisted of significant motion practice, denial of multiple dispositive motions, a review of over 22,000 pages of documents (including technical data), numerous expert and party depositions, certification of a state-wide class and lengthy mediation and negotiation sessions.
After extensive mediation, led by retired Judge Edward A. Infante, as well as post-mediation negotiations, the parties agreed to a settlement that includes a 24-month extension of warranties, valued between $6.97 and $29.99, and a change in Shop Vac’s advertising regarding its vacuum’s peak horsepower and tank size. The settlement will achieve meaningful relief for those who acquired Shop-Vac after January 1, 2006.
The parties have asked the Court to grant preliminary certification of a national class and to schedule a final hearing on the settlement.
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP focuses on complex civil litigation, including securities, antitrust, wage and hour and consumer class actions as well as shareholder derivative and merger and transactional litigation. The firm is headquartered in New York, and maintains offices in Atlanta, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
Since its founding in 1995, Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP has served as lead or co-lead counsel in numerous high-profile cases which ultimately provided significant recoveries to investors, direct purchasers, consumers and employees.
To schedule a free consultation with our attorneys and to learn more about your legal rights, call our offices today at (877) 247-4292 or (212) 983-9330.
Innessa M. Huot is a Partner in the firm’s New York office and Chair of the firm’s Employment Practice Group.
