Monster’s HDMI Cable Class Action Settlement Gets Final OK

A state court judge granted final approval to a class action settlement deal that will benefit around 1.4 million customers who purchased Monster’s HDMI cables.

The settlement was given preliminary approval in March 2018 but only recently was granted the final “okay” by the court.

Under the Monster HDMI settlement, consumers were able to choose between store credit with Best Buy or a cash payment.

Consumers who provided proof of purchase will be able to collect between $10 and $18 in cash payments for their HDMI cables that provided more than 10.2 gigabits per second of high definition signal.

If consumers exchange their cable for a different cord, they may be able to collect between $14 and $35.

Without proof of purchase, consumers are expected to collect between $20 and $30 in credit to be used on the Monster website.

The Monster HDMI settlement benefits consumers who purchased a Monster HDMI cable with a bandwidth exceeding 10.2 gigabits per second between Aug. 25, 2011 and March 6, 2018.

The deadline to file a claim with the settlement passed on Dec. 27, 2018.

The settlement resolves class action claims from plaintiffs Amy Joseph and Robert O’Brien who claimed that the packaging for Monster’s HDMI cable was misleading.

The Monster class action lawsuit alleged that the marketing for the product made customers think that they needed to spend more money to get the most powerful cable available for high definition televisions.

Joseph and O’Brien claimed that a cable only needs 10.2 gigabits per second in bandwidth to transmit an HD signal, meaning that the more expensive product was not actually necessary. The plaintiffs also brought claims against Best Buy where the product was sold.

In addition to resolving the claims and providing monetary compensation, the Monster HDMI settlement also requires Monster to make changes to their packaging.

These changes will include different labeling language and a “Need For Speed” chart aimed at explaining the different speeds provided by cables. However, this chart will not include any statements about which cables are needed for specific functions.

By giving the settlement final approval, Cook County Associate Judge Franklin Valderrama has approved $375,000 in attorneys’ fees for the lawyers representing the plaintiffs and Class Members.

This amount will be paid separately from the money set aside to benefit claimants in the settlement.

The court also approved $3,000 in service awards to be given to the plaintiffs for the time and effort spent in litigation.

The settlement Class is represented by Thomas Zimmerman Jr. and Sharon Harris of Zimmerman Law Offices and Robert Clifford and Shannon McNulty of Clifford Law Offices.

The Monster HDMI Cable Class Action Lawsuit is Joseph, et al. v. Monster Inc., et al., Case No. 15­-CH-­13991, in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois.

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