Class Action Early Warning

NEW: Dr. Squatch agrees to a USD 9 million settlement over allegedly false "natural" advertising despite the use of synthetic ingredients. Purchasers between November 2018 and August 2026 may receive up to USD 12.50; the claims deadline is November 27, 2026.

NEW: The Italian data protection authority imposes a fine of €7 million on IQVIA because a purportedly anonymized database containing health data of approximately one million patients was re-identifiable through persistent identifiers; legal basis, impact assessment, and security measures were all found to be lacking.

ESCALATED: The Higher Regional Court of Hamm (OLG Hamm) declares E.ON district heating's price adjustment clauses invalid for three supply areas; nevertheless, the vzbv files a appeal on points of law with the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), as invalidity was not established for all affected areas. Registered consumers may seek reimbursement of overpaid amounts once the judgment becomes final.

DEVELOPMENT: ASG Holding faces more than 100 silicosis lawsuits brought by stonemasons; insurer Liberty denies coverage for defense costs and settlement payments, citing a silica exclusion clause, thereby increasing the financial burden on the manufacturer.

ESCALATED: The Boston Scientific MDL concerning spinal cord stimulators has grown to 59 cases involving 72 plaintiffs; a master complaint is to be filed by the end of October to expedite future claims. Allegations involve defective leads, electric shocks, and nerve damage.

NEW: Igloo moves to consolidate six federal lawsuits concerning finger injuries caused by the tow-handle design of its 90-quart coolers into an MDL in Delaware; the company anticipates a dozen additional lawsuits following a 2025 recall of more than 1.2 million coolers due to the risk of amputation.

NEW: The Australian competition authority ACCC files suit against twelve egg producers for alleged cartel arrangements regarding business decisions — the first proceeding to assert violations of the new prohibition on concerted practices.

NEW: An Ohio man is suing Werner after the locking mechanism of a Multi-Max Pro ladder failed during use, causing him to fall and sustain multiple bone fractures and permanent nerve damage.

NEW: The Italian data protection authority has imposed a fine of €16.7 million on Wind Tre for unlawful telemarketing calls and unauthorised contract activations through its distribution network; additionally, a processing ban and a remediation order have been issued.

DEVELOPMENT: In the class action trial against JB Hi-Fi concerning allegedly worthless extended warranties, the lead plaintiff testified that he had feared being left without any legal recourse under Australian consumer law after the manufacturer's warranty expired.

NEW: Carter Credit Union reaches a settlement over a 2025 data breach in which Social Security numbers and financial data were compromised. Affected individuals are entitled to reimbursement of up to USD 2,500 or a flat payment of USD 50, as well as three years of credit monitoring.

CONCLUDED: Toyota will pay AUD 750 million to settle two class actions relating to defective diesel filters — following a favourable High Court ruling on the calculation of damages, this represents the largest class action settlement in Australian legal history.

NEW: The Norwegian data protection authority has imposed a fine of €8.5 million on Microsoft's adtech subsidiary Xandr for processing sensitive data — including data relating to sexual orientation — from the dating app Grindr without a legal basis. The decision stems from a complaint filed in 2020 by noyb and the Norwegian Consumer Council.

ESCALATED: Kaufland is repeating a recall of Aptamil and Milumil products that was already conducted in February 2026, after affected batches were not fully removed from sale in individual stores. The reason is possible contamination with the harmful toxin cereulide.

NEW: Recall of more than 265,000 Ram ProMaster vans (model years 2022–2026, electric variant 2024–2026) due to potential issues with the power steering system.

NEW: A new class action alleges that Samsung collects and shares users' viewing habits via Smart TVs without their consent.

NEW: A Washington consumer is suing Meta, alleging that misleading email subject lines created artificial urgency around discounts on AI glasses.

NEW: Two class actions allege that Sprouts falsely labels tortilla chips as "Made With Avocado Oil" when no pure avocado oil is in fact contained in the product.

NEW: A class action alleges that McDonald's employed an algorithmic price-fixing scheme through which consumers were caused to pay higher menu prices.

NEW: Volkswagen is recalling 22,524 ID.4 electric vehicles (model years 2023–2026) due to a potential high-voltage battery fire risk.

NEW: A class action lawsuit accuses children's clothing retailer Caden Lane of sending marketing emails with misleading urgency-based subject lines, thereby violating Washington's Commercial Electronic Mail Act (CEMA).

NEW: Walmart faces two additional customs duty refund class action lawsuits (filed in Florida and Connecticut); Puma and other retailers are also under scrutiny for passing tariff costs on to consumers.

NEW: A woman has filed suit against several California smoke and vape shops after allegedly developing a vitamin B12 deficiency disorder and severe, life-altering long-term injuries as a result of nitrous oxide consumption.

DEVELOPMENT: Uber reaches a settlement with a Texas woman shortly before the start of the third bellwether trial in the MDL concerning sexual assaults by drivers, thereby averting a potentially precedent-setting jury verdict.

NEW: Following an investigation by the Texas Attorney General, Plum Organics voluntarily commits to continued heavy metal testing of its baby food products and to publicly disclosing the results.

NEW: A new class action lawsuit accuses Uber of enrolling customers in its paid subscription service Uber One without their knowledge or consent.

NEW: A class action lawsuit accuses Expedia of artificially inflating hotel prices by prohibiting hotels, through rate parity clauses, from offering lower prices on competing platforms.

NEW: The Italian data protection authority has imposed a fine of €180,000 on Emirates for violations in the processing of passengers' health data, including inadequate transparency disclosures.

NEW: A widow files suit against AngioDynamics, alleging that her husband's implanted SmartPort port catheter caused an infection and sepsis that resulted in his death.

NEW: Recall of 'Wild Stracke' due to detection of Verotoxin-producing E. coli (EHEC/VTEC) during official sampling; distribution took place regionally in Thuringia.

NEW: Recall of Annam Deepam Oil (lamp oil, 500ml) due to the presence of a health-hazardous substance.

NEW: The Italian data protection authority imposes a fine of €5.5 million on BBVA's Italian branch for disregarding a customer's objection to direct marketing.

NEW: Johnson & Johnson has agreed to a $4.7 million settlement over allegations that its Skin360 app collected biometric facial data without consent, purportedly in violation of Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA).

NEW: Recall of Wurzener white beans (500g and 10kg) across multiple batches due to detected traces of mold; distributed nationwide through Edeka, Kaufland, REWE, Globus, and other retailers.