Settlement Website: FairlifeMilkSettlement.com
Objection Deadline: 08/25/2022
Exclusion Deadline: 08/25/2022
Claim Form: Claim Here
Deadline For Submitting Claim: 12/27/2022
Final Hearing Date: 09/28/2022
Settlement Amount: $21 million
Proof Of Purchase: Proof of purchase can be a physical milk bottle, store receipt, or other records that document purchases of eligible Fair Oaks Farms or Fairlife products. While no proof of purchase is mandatory, class members can avail of a higher share of the settlement fund by offering one.
Potential Claim Amount: Up to $100. The settlement terms allow refunds of up to 25% of the average retail price of the products bought.
- Class members with proof of purchase can claim refunds of $80.
- Class members without proof of purchase can claim refunds of $20.
- Class members both with and without proof of purchase can claim refunds of up to $100.
The actual payment amount might be more or less depending on the number of claims filed with the settlement. If the amount of cash awards is more than the amount available in the settlement fund, then each cash award will be reduced proportionately on a pro-rata basis to exhaust the settlement fund. The settlement class members will be entitled to additional pro-rata distributions if any funds remain in the Settlement fund after all the cash awards are made. Following the court’s approval, any amount remaining in the settlement fund will be equally donated to the U.S. Dairy Education & Training Consortium and The Center for Food Safety.
Multiple class-action lawsuits have been filed against Fairlife and other defendants alleging they lied to consumers about mistreating cows. This $21 million settlement will benefit consumers who bought milk or milk products including butter, ice cream, yogurt, and other dairy products from Fairlife or Fair oak Farms either on or before 27th April 2022. You can get a complete list of the products from the settlement website.
As per the multidistrict litigation filed against Fairlife, Fair Oak Farms, Coca-Cola, and other companies, the milk products were falsely advertised to be secured from dairy cows that were treated with “the utmost care” and “extraordinary care and comfort.” Labeling on the Fairlife milk products features a friendly cow face located directly under Fairlife’s name. Also, the cow cartoon can be seen either wearing a monocle or sunglasses. According to the Fairlife class-action lawsuit, the implication of this anthropomorphized image beneath the words ‘fair’ and ‘life’ refers to that the cows are being treated fairly.
However, the plaintiffs have claimed that the marketing claims made by Fairlife are false as it mistreats cows and lies to customers about this conduct. Not-for-profit animal welfare organization Animal Recovery Mission posted the news online detailing the various instances of animal cruelty that take place at Fair Oaks Farms. According to the customers, Fair Oaks Farms is the flagship farm of the Fairlife brand.
The Animal Recovery Mission representatives witnessed various Fairlife employees slapping, throwing, and kicking calves. Video footage of this conduct has also been filmed. The representatives also witnessed calves being beaten with steel bars, starved to death, and burned with branding irons. Some cows who couldn’t produce milk anymore were shot and left to die in an excruciatingly painful process that took multiple hours.
The class-action lawsuit has accused Fairlife being a dairy brand of “horrific animal abuse.”
Rather than treating its cows fairly as expected by customers, Fairlife allegedly lied to them by creating an ethical marketing façade and charging a premium price for its products. The lawsuit contends that the plaintiff’s payment for Fairlife milk products was at a premium price since it wasn’t as advertised. The plaintiffs have argued saying they wouldn’t have paid the premium price had they known the truth about the brand’s treatment of dairy cows. They believed Fairlife to be a “humane actor” which was a contributing factor in their decision to buy the company’s products at a higher price than similar products.
As per the Fairlife cow mistreatment class-action lawsuit, these claims were used by Fairlife as a part of their marketing campaign as they know that customers are easily attracted to products that they believe to have high ethical standards. The mistreatment of cows is a concern to consumers who are willing to pay more for milk from companies humanely treating their animals. Fairlife reportedly charges a premium price for its milk from consumers based on the representations. However, the profits made from this false marketing are entirely fraudulent and caused the plaintiffs to unknowingly contribute to and participate in the infliction of cruelty on the Fairlife cows as they were deceived into purchasing the products.
Fairlife responded to these charges by rededicating itself to the fair treatment of cows. According to the claims made by the company, they will increase the audit frequency and will review all 30 of their farms 24 times a year. Farm employees will be recertified in animal welfare every year and an advisory council shall be assembled by the company comprising of “independent experts” who will help hold Fairlife and the dairy industry to a higher standard that reflects their true values.
The plaintiffs have asserted claims for unjust enrichment, breach of express and implied warranty, intentional and negligent misrepresentation, common law fraud, violations of certain state consumer protection, false advertising, and unfair competition statutes. While Fairlife, Fair Oak Farms, Fairlife’s parent company — The Coca-Cola Co. — and other defendants as mentioned in the case haven’t admitted any wrongdoing, they have agreed to resolve all claims brought against them with a $21 million settlement.
