Judge gives initial approval to $15M Seresto settlement

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Update:

• A federal judge in Illinois gave initial approval to a $15 million settlement that resolves claims that Bayer did not properly warn customers of the risks related to Seresto flea and tick collars, Law360 reports.
• Plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation claim pets who wore Seresto collars experienced serious side effects, including vomiting, lethargy, anorexia, behavioral disorders and death.
• Bayer sold more than $300 million worth of Seresto collars in 2019 before selling the brand to Elanco in 2020, Law360 reports case filings show.

Seresto flea and tick collars class action lawsuit:

• Who: A dog owner sued Bayer over its Seresto flea and tick collars.
• Why: The plaintiff says the collars are dangerous to pets and humans because they killed her dog.
• Where: The Seresto lawsuit was filed in a Florida federal court.

(Sept. 23, 2022)

Bayer continues to market that its Seresto flea and tick collars are safe for pets even after tens of thousands of pet injuries and more than a thousand deaths, a new class action lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiff Rhoda Trotter filed the class action lawsuit against Bayer Healthcare LLC, Bayer Corp. and Elanco Animal Health Inc. on Sept. 21 in a Florida federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.

“Seresto flea and tick collars — some of the top-selling flea and tick preventative collars in the country — have been associated with tens of thousands of pet injuries and approximately 1,700 pet deaths,” the Seresto class action states. “Defendants… hid that information from, and patently misled, consumers. Indeed, even after reports of Seresto’s serious side effects became public, Defendants have downplayed the reports and continued to represent that Seresto is safe for pets to use when it is not.”

Trotter says she used the collar on her own dog, Taz, who became lethargic and died soon after.

Seresto class action claims dangers of flea and tick collars well documented, lawsuit states

In June, a congressional subcommittee released a report recommending Seresto flea and tick collars be removed from the marketplace following an investigation into its harms, the lawsuit explains. 

Seresto’s danger stems from its unique combination of imidacloprid and flumethrin, two dangerous pesticides that, together, magnify their harmful effects, the Seresto class action states.

Canada has already banned the sale of the Seresto collar within its borders. However, at no point have the defendants disclosed this information to United States consumers, the lawsuit alleges.

“To the contrary, they have maintained and represented that Seresto collars are safe for pets to use,” the Seresto class action claims. “Despite Defendants’ claims, Seresto collars have resulted in millions of dollars in damages for pet owners — both in the form of collars that they overpaid for or would have never purchased had consumers known of Seresto’s dangers and also in veterinarian and other medical expenses incurred by pet owners with pets injured by the Seresto collar and its pesticides.”

Trotter looks to represent anyone in the United States who used a Seresto collar on their pet plus a Florida subclass.

She sued under state consumer laws and for breach of warranty and negligence and seeks certification of the class action lawsuit, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial. 

Have you used a Seresto flea and tick collar on your pet? Let us know your experience in the comments! 

The plaintiff is represented by Rachel Soffin of Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman PLLC and Michael Reese of Reese LLP and Michael Williams of Williams Dirks Dameron LLC.

The Bayer Seresto class action lawsuit is Rhoda Trotter v. Bayer Healthcare LLC, et al., Case No. 8:22-cv-02183-CEH-MRM, in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Read About More Class Action Lawsuits & Class Action Settlements:

• Potential bacterial and chemical contamination leads to nationwide pet food recalls, class actions
• Blue Ridge Beef pet food recall expands to more states
• Mid-America Pet Food class action alleges products contaminated with salmonella
• Respiratory illness affects dogs across the country