Disposable contact lens antitrust $75M class action settlement

Contact lens wearers may benefit from a $75 million litigation settlement with disposable contacts manufacturers resolving antitrust claims.

The settlement benefits consumers who purchased certain disposable contact lenses between June 1, 2013, and Dec. 4, 2018. Contact lenses in the settlement were sold by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Alcon Vision, CooperVision, ABB Concise Optical Group and Bausch & Lomb. A full list of covered contact lenses can be found on the settlement website.

Alcon and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care are two vision companies that manufacture contact lenses. Consumers who use disposable contact lenses may have purchased the companies’ products through their ophthalmologist’s office or a pharmacy.

According to an antitrust class action lawsuit, Alcon and Johnson & Johnson violated federal laws by conspiring with CooperVision, ABB and Bausch & Lomb to artificially raise the price of disposable contact lenses. Starting in June 2013, the companies allegedly agreed to implement unilateral pricing policies that set a minimum retail price for disposable contact lenses.

As a result of the scheme, consumers allegedly paid more for contact lenses than they would have in a healthy market. Without the alleged anti competitive agreements, the defendants would have allegedly priced their products lower in order to stay competitive and draw in customers. 

Alcon and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care have agreed to settle the claims against them with a $75 million class action settlement. 

Alcon will contribute $20 million, while Johnson & Johnson will contribute $55 million. These funds join previous settlements with CooperVision and ABB Optical Group.

Under the terms of the contact lens settlement, class members can recover a cash payment for purchases of disposable contact lenses. 

Each consumer will be eligible for a proportional share of all five settlement funds based on the number of eligible lenses they purchased within the Class period. No payment estimates are available at this time.

Class members must submit proof of purchase for the disposable contact lenses they purchased. This includes receipts or other documentation.

The deadline for exclusion and objection in the contact lens settlement is Aug. 22, 2022. 

The final approval hearing for the deal is scheduled for Oct. 12, 2022.

In order to benefit from the contact lens settlement, class members must submit a valid claim form by Aug. 22, 2022. 

Consumers who submitted claims for previous ABB, Bausch & Lomb, and/or CooperVision settlements do not need to submit another claim form, as their previously submitted information will be used to disburse payments.

Who’s Eligible

The settlement benefits consumers who purchased certain disposable contact lenses between June 1, 2013, and Dec. 4, 2018. Contact lenses in the settlement were sold by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Alcon Vision, CooperVision, ABB Concise Optical Group and Bausch & Lomb. A full list of covered contact lenses can be found on the settlement website.

Potential Award

TBD

Proof of Purchase

May have to provide additional information to Class Counsel or the Claims Administrator to support your claim if necessary.

Claim Form

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

08/22/2022

Case Name

In re: Disposable Contact Lens Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 3:15-md-2626-J-20JRK in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Jacksonville Division

Final Hearing

10/12/2022

Settlement Website

ContactLensSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Disposable Contacts Antitrust Litigation
Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 2995
Portland, OR 97208-2995
info@ContactLensSettlement.com
877-253-3649

Class Counsel

Nathaniel C. Giddings
HAUSFELD LLP

Joseph P. Guglielmo
SCOTT+SCOTT ATTORNEYS AT LAW LLP

Benjamin Steinberg
ROBINS KAPLAN LLP

Defense Counsel

William F. Cavanaugh Jr
PATTERSON BELKANAP WEBB & TYLER LLP

David R. Marriott
CRAVATH SWAINE & MOORE LLP