Pella Agrees to ProLine Window Defect Settlement

Pella Corporation has reached a class action lawsuit settlement over alleged defects in its ProLine series of windows that allegedly cause rotting in the surrounding wood. If approved, the class action settlement will cover a nationwide Class of consumers who purchased ProLine casement, awning and transom windows made by Pella from 1991 to 2006.

Under the proposed class action lawsuit settlement, consumers may be eligible to receive between $750 and $6,000. The Pella ProLine settlement also provides benefits beyond the warranty to consumers whose windows may suffer wood rot in the future.

Lead Plaintiff Dr. Leonard Saltzman sued Pella in 2006 alleging that he began to notice some of his window frames were rotting 10 years after installing ProLine casement windows in his new home, but the windows were no longer under warranty. Saltzman alleged the windows had a design defect that allows water to seep behind the aluminum cladding and cause wood rot.

Pella denies the allegations and maintains wood rot can be caused by many different reasons, but said in a statement last week that it is “pleased to have created a settlement framework that extends our existing customer support program with a claims process” for older windows.

“In the overwhelming majority of cases, our Pella windows performed extremely well and as designed,” Pella’s CEO said. “We know that each home or building is unique and the settlement is designed to address the relatively small number that may have experienced a problem.”

Detailed instructions on how to file a valid claim for the Pella ProLine Window Class Action Settlement can be found in our Open Lawsuit Settlements section.

UPDATE: A class action lawsuit settlement has been reached! Learn how to file a claim for the Pella Window Class Action Settlement.

UPDATE 2: On June 2, 2014, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the Pella window defect class action settlement after finding that its terms were “scandalous” and unfair to Class Members. 

UPDATE 3: On Feb. 8, 2018, after years in court, Pella Corporation agreed to pay close to $26 million to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged a line of its windows leaked and caused wood rot.

UPDATE 4: On March 23, 2018, the revised Pella ProLine windows defect class action settlement is now open. Click here to file a claim.