Suave Keratin Infusion Smoothing Kit Class Action Settlement

Unilever United States Inc. has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit accusing the company of making false and misleading statements about the safety of the Suave Professionals Keratin Infusion 30-Day Smoothing Kit. If you purchased the Suave Keratin Smoothing Kit before Feb. 17, 2014, you could receive a one-time reimbursement of up to $10 and/or reimbursement for the costs of treating your injuries.

Who’s Eligible

Class Members of the class action settlement include all persons who purchased or used the Suave Keratin Infusion Smoothing Kit in the United States before Feb. 17, 2014. The Smoothing Kit must have been purchased for personal or household use.

Potential Award

Up to $10 for a one-time reimbursement. If the claims collectively exceed the amount available in the reimbursement fund, the payments may be reduced pro rata.

Class Members who suffered injuries from the Suave Keratin Smoothing Kit may be eligible for full or partial reimbursement of their treatment costs.

Injury Class: Class Members who suffered bodily injury to their hair or scalp, and who does not timely request exclusion, may submit a claim against the injury fund. There are three options for Class Members seeking benefits under the Injury Fund:

Benefit Option A: Class Members who incurred expenses related to treating their injuries but do not have receipts for those expenses may make a claim for reimbursement for up to $40 per claimant.

Benefit Option B: Class Members who incurred expenses related to treating their injuries and proof of treatment in the form of receipts may make a claim for reimbursement of their documented expenses in an amount of up to $800 per claimant.

Benefit Option C: Class Members who suffered significant injuries can make a claim to recover damages up to a maximum of $25,000 per claimant. These claims will be evaluated by a court-appointed Special Master, who will determine the amount, if any, that will be paid to each Class Member who submits a claim under Option C.

Proof of Purchase

None required. However, Class Members are encouraged to submit proof of purchase of the Suave Keratin Smoothing Kit as well as receipts documenting the costs of treating their injuries. Submitting these documents may increase the amount of compensation Class Members are eligible to receive.

Claim Form

Claim Form Deadline

9/25/2014

Case Name

Sidney Reid, et al. v. Unilever United States Inc., et al., Case No. 1:12-cv-06058, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Case Summary

The Suave Keratin Smoothing Kit settlement will resolve a class action lawsuit that alleged Unilever misled consumers into purchasing the product by making false statements concerning the safety of the Smoothing Kit, and by failing to disclose that the Smoothing Kit posed an unreasonable risk of hair and/or scalp injury. Unilever denies any wrongdoing and denies that the Smoothing Kit poses an unreasonable risk of harm to consumers. However, the company agreed to a class action settlement, which was preliminarily approved on Feb. 12, 2014, to avoid the expense and uncertainty of trial.

Final Hearing

7/9/2014

Settlement Website

www.Suave30DaySmoothingKitLawsuit.com

Claims Administrator

Smoothing Kit Class Administrator
c/o Dahl Administration
P.O. Box 3614
Minneapolis, MN 55403-0614
1-888-848-9961
mail@Suave30DaySmoothingKitLawsuit.com

Class Counsel

Jana Eisinger
THE LAW OFFICES OF JANA EISINGER

Peter Safirstein
MORGAN & MORGAN PC

Christopher Polaszek
MORGAN & MORGAN PA

Marvin Miller
MILLER LAW LLC

Defense Counsel

Paula J. Morency
Sondra A. Hemeryck
SCHIFF HARDIN LLP

UPDATE 1: The Suave Keratin Smoothing Kit class action settlement received final approval on July 9, 2014.

UPDATE 2: Two appeals were filed following final approval of the class action settlement, which has delayed the payment of claims. Viewers are reporting to us that the Settlement Administrator has contacted them to inform them that a Special Master has been appointed to review claims that that payments cannot be made until this process is complete and all appeals are resolved. Some Class Members have received Authorization and Request for Information forms requesting additional information such as their Social Security number. According to the Settlement Administrator: “Both the claims evaluation and the resolution of the appeals will take some time, at least several months, and we cannot estimate when claim payments will be made at this time.” We will continue to provide updates as we hear them. Keep checking back.

UPDATE 3: On Mar. 25, 2016, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a $10.2 million class action settlement over allegations Unilever PLC’s Suave Keratin Infusion products caused consumers’ hair to fall out.

UPDATE 4: On Mar. 30, 2016, according to the settlement website, the settlement is expected to become final on June 23, 2016 and checks will be mailed out to Class Members in early July. 

UPDATE 5: On July 5, 2016, Top Class Actions readers who filed for Benefit Option A started receiving checks worth as much as $50! 

UPDATE 6: On July 12, 2016, Top Class Actions readers who filed for Benefit Option C started receiving checks worth as much as $10,060!