Senior Partner
After two and a half years of litigation and multiple court victories, Stritmatter Law clients and class representatives have reached a consumer protection class action settlement that benefits over 150 injured government employees.
Washington Consumer Protection Act Claims
After winning their Consumer Protection Act claims against MultiPlan and Regence in February, Stritmatter Law’s clients (class representatives) have reached a settlement with MultiPlan and Regence to compensate class members. The class includes over 150 government employees (police, emergency personnel, hospital workers, teachers, bus drivers) injured by someone else’s negligence. MultiPlan, on behalf of Regence, then attempted to collect reimbursement from those personal injury victims based on false claims.
What Are the Steps in a Class Action Settlement?
In a class action the parties propose a settlement to the Court for preliminary approval. This may be done at the same time as certifying the class action or after.
The Court examines available information to assess whether the proposed settlement is adequate and can be administered fairly. By law, the Court must direct a notice to be sent to class members about the proposed settlement and class members’ rights and options.
After class members have an opportunity to take action, the parties then request that the Court give final approval of the settlement. After final approval, the class action administrator can begin issuing payments.
In the MultiPlan class action, the Court has preliminarily approved the settlement as well as a class notice. Class members will have 60 days from mailing of the class notice to opt out, object, or submit information.
How Is Compensation Determined in a Class Action?
The parties’ settlement, which the Court has preliminarily approved, offers $600,000 to compensate personal injury victims for excess payments to MultiPlan and Regence, prejudgment interest, and treble damages (up to three times actual damages). Documents related to the lawsuit and settlement are posted on the official MultiPlan Class Action page.
After a class action settlement, a class administrator sends out a notice approved by the Court. The notice advises class members of their rights and options. In some class actions, members only receive a payment if they make a claim in response to the class notice instructions. In other class actions, everyone receives a payment at pre-determined amounts.
Here, class members will receive some amount regardless of whether they make a claim, but they can provide more information to potentially qualify for more compensation.
The team on this consumer protection class action includes attorneys Andrew Ackley, Lisa Benedetti, and Darcy Covert and paralegals Debra Watt and Jamie Kessler.
If you have been the victim of deceptive businesses practices targeting numerous consumers, it may be worth pursuing your claim as a Consumer Protection Class Action. Stritmatter Law can help.