CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced that Illinois residents who purchased Keurig K-Cups through retailers have until July 15 to submit claims for recovery through a $31 million settlement. As a result of Raoul’s objections, Illinois consumers are now eligible for up to triple the amount of recovery originally promised in a 2020 antitrust settlement with Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. (Keurig).
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
A settlement reached in 2020 to resolve antitrust allegations against Keurig requires the company to pay $31 million into a settlement fund to provide restitution to consumers. Under the settlement’s original proposed allocation plan, Illinois residents could file claims to receive one-third of the compensation received by consumers in other states with similar laws. As a result of intervention by Attorney General Raoul’s office, the court approved a revised plan June 4, which allows Illinois residents to recover the same amount as residents of other states with similar laws.
“I am pleased with the court’s decision that allows Illinois purchasers to receive amounts equal to purchasers in other states with similar laws,” Raoul said. “I will continue to work to ensure that Illinois residents are treated fairly in settlements and have access to the recovery to which they are entitled.”
Attorney General Raoul encourages individuals or businesses that purchased K-Cups at retail stores between Sept. 7, 2010 and Aug. 14, 2020 to submit a claim for compensation by July 15. Detailed information about the amounts of recovery available, instructions for submitting a claim, as well as a link to a claim form can be found at Keurig’s settlement website.
The settlement resolves a class action lawsuit that alleged Keurig engaged in monopolistic practices that restricted competition in order to raise, fix, maintain or stabilize the prices of K-Cups at artificially-high levels. Federal antitrust laws do not allow individual consumers to qualify to receive compensation if they do not purchase items directly from the alleged wrongdoer, which in this case is Keurig. However, Illinois recognized that consumers bear the burden of antitrust overcharges and was among the first states to amend its antitrust laws to allow consumers to qualify for recovery even if they did not buy the product directly from the wrongdoer. Illinois’ laws are now mirrored in roughly half the states.
Raoul initially intervened in the litigation on behalf of Illinois residents once it became clear that the settlement would limit K-Cup purchasers in Illinois and Florida to recover only one-third of the amounts received by purchasers in other states with similar laws. Raoul, along with Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, objected to the proposed settlement arguing it discriminated against their residents. A special magistrate agreed that Illinois and Florida purchasers should not be treated less favorably, and the allocation plan was amended accordingly. A district court judge approved the revised plan, and Raoul is urging Illinois consumers to submit claims as soon as possible.
Bureau Chief Blake Harrop and Assistant Attorney General Richard Schultz handled the case for Attorney General Raoul’s Antitrust Bureau.
More like this:
