$6M Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries Settlement Reached After Price-Fixing Allegations

Panasonic Corporation, Panasonic Corporation of North America, Panasonic Canada Inc., and Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. have reportedly agreed to pay nearly $6.3 million to settle a class action lawsuit accusing them of engaging a price-fixing conspiracy that resulted in the artificial inflation of prices of lithium ion rechargeable batteries in Canada.

British Columbia residents who purchased lithium ion rechargeable batteries or products containing lithium ion rechargeable batteries between Jan. 1, 2002 and Jan. 1, 2012 may qualify as Class Members of the lithium ion rechargeable batteries settlement.

By agreeing to settle the price-fixing class action lawsuit, Panasonic and Sanyo do not admit any wrongdoing or liability. The settlement, if approved, allows the defendants to avoid the burden and expense associated with ongoing litigation.

The lithium ion rechargeable batteries class action lawsuit was initially filed in November 2012.

What Does the Lithium Ion Rechargeable Battery Class Action Lawsuit Allege?

The class action lawsuit Canada takes aim at an alleged price-fixing conspiracy accusing several manufacturers of lithium ion batteries of participating in secretive meetings and engaging in a conspiracy to fix, maintain, increase, and control the price for the supply of lithium ion rechargeable batteries.

The lithium ion rechargeable batteries price-fixing scheme allegedly resulted in consumers, businesses and other purchasers paying artificially inflated prices in Canada for lithium ion batteries and products that contain lithium ion batteries, such as notebook or laptop computers, cellular phones and smartphones, tablet computers, e-book readers, MP3 players, personal digital assistants, handheld GPS, and handheld video players.

If you purchased lithium ion rechargeable batteries or any products containing the batteries, you may be entitled to claim a cash payment from the class action settlement.

Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries Settlements

The Panasonic and Sanyo defendants join a long list of other defendants that have already agreed to class action settlements.

The previous lithium ion rechargeable batteries settlements include the following (all settlement amounts are listed in Candian dollars):

• NEC Corporation and NEC Tokin Corporation agreed to pay $50,000
• Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. and Samsung SDI America Inc. agreed to pay nearly $2.8 million
• Sony Corporation, Sony Energy Devices Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc. and Sony of Canada Ltd. agreed to pay $4.5 million
• LG Chem Ltd. and LG Chem America Inc. agreed to pay approximately $5.1 million
• Toshiba Corporation, Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. and Toshiba of Canada Limited agreed to pay nearly $265,000
• Maxwell Holdings Ltd. (formerly Hitachi Maxwell Ltd.) and Maxwell Corporation of America agreed to pay approximately $390,000.

According to the proposed distribution plan, the amount each Class Member is eligible to claim depends on several factors, including the number and type of eligible products they purchased during the Class Period, and whether they are a direct purchaser, end user or reseller.

Each eligible Class Member will reportedly receive a minimum payment of $20. Class Members who provide proof of purchase or other documentation may be eligible to claim a larger award. Settlement payments will be calculated on a pro rata basis.

Panasonic Class Action Settlement Awaits Court Approval

The Panasonic settlement must be approved by courts in Ontario and Quebec. Class Members who would like to attend the hearings can contact Sotos LLP at 416-977-0007 or email lithiumclassaction@sotosllp.com to attend the hearings.

The hearing in Ontario court in Toronto will be held on Jan. 15, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. and the hearing in Quebec court in Montreal will be held on Jan. 26, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. The deadline to opt out of the Panasonic class action settlement has passed.

The settlement funds are currently being held in trust pending court approval of the settlement and a distribution plan. If the settlement and distribution plan are approved, a settlement website will be established and Class Members will be able to submit claims through an online claim portal.

Top Class Actions will update this article with the open settlement information and claim filing instructions if the court approves the rechargeable battery price-fixing settlement and the claim filing period opens. Click on the “Follow Article” at the top of this page to get the latest updates about the lithium ion rechargeable batteries settlement by using your free Top Class Actions account. For the latest updates, keep checking ca.TopClassActions.com or sign up for our free newsletter.

This isn’t the only class action lawsuit Panasonic is settling without admitting liability or wrongdoing. Panasonic has also recently agreed to settle a class action lawsuit alleging the company participated in another conspiracy to fix product prices, this time the prices of film and electrolytic capacitors sold throughout Canada.

Did you purchase lithium ion rechargeable batteries or products containing the batteries during the Class Period? Will you file a claim if the settlement is approved? Let us know in the comments section below.

Class Members are represented by Siskinds LLP and Sotos LLP.

The Lithium Ion Rechargeable Batteries Class Action Lawsuit is Cruz v. LG Chem Ltd., et al., in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Canada. 

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