The following statement is being issued by Labaton Sucharow LLP, Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP and Hausfeld LLP regarding the Aftermarket Automotive Lighting Products Antitrust Litigation.
If you purchased certain Aftermarket Automotive Lighting Products (AALPs) directly from any of the below companies between July 29, 2001 and Feb. 10, 2009, your legal rights may be affected by a class action lawsuit and you may be entitled to a cash payment.
EAGLE EYES TRAFFIC INDUSTRIAL CO. LTD. E-LITE AUTOMOTIVE, INC. DEPO AUTO PARTS INDUSTRIAL CO. LTD. MAXZONE VEHICLE LIGHTING CORP. SABRY LEE (U.S.A.), INC. SABRY LEE LTD. TYC BROTHER INDUSTRIAL CO. LTD. GENERA CORP.
What is this lawsuit about?
Plaintiffs claim that during the class period, defendants violated the United States federal antitrust laws by agreeing to fix prices on certain AALPs sold by defendants, including headlamps and bulbs, parking, tail and interior lights, spot lights, fog lights and auxiliary lights, and excluding certain product numbers which are listed in detail on the settlement website, www.AftermarketAutolightsSettlement.com. Defendants have denied all claims alleged by the plaintiffs, as well as all charges of wrongdoing or liability. The court has not decided in favor of either party.
A proposed settlement has been reached with defendants Eagle Eyes Traffic Industrial Co. Ltd. and E-Lite Automotive, Inc. (collectively, the Eagle Eyes Defendants) for $3 million. This amount, after deduction of fees and expenses, will be distributed to the class on a pro-rata basis depending on how much you spent on AALPs from July 29, 2001 to Feb. 10, 2009. The Eagle Eyes defendants have also agreed to cooperate in the prosecution of the claims against the remaining defendants on behalf of the class.
What are my options?
Participate in the settlement: If you have previously submitted a claim form and received payment in connection with plaintiffs' settlements with defendants Depo/Maxzone and Sabry Lee/Sabry Lee (USA), you do not need to do anything further. The claims administrator will process your claim upon final approval of the Settlement.
If you did not submit a claim form in connection with plaintiffs' earlier settlements, or if you submitted a claim but it was not approved, and you would like to participate in this settlement with the Eagle Eyes defendants, you must complete and submit a timely claim form postmarked no later than Nov. 14, 2013 to Aftermarket Automotive Lighting Products Antitrust Litigation, c/o GCG, Inc., P.O. Box 35100, Seattle, WA 98124-1100.
Object or comment on the settlement: You may write the court objecting to or commenting on any aspect of the settlement. Written objections to the settlement must be filed with the court and mailed to counsel postmarked no later than Nov. 14, 2013. You may request to speak at the final approval hearing set for Jan. 6, 2014. You may also choose to appear at the hearing through your own attorney at your own expense. Further information can be found on the settlement website.
Class counsel: The court appointed Jason S. Hartley of Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP, Bonny E. Sweeney of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, Michael P. Lehmann of Hausfeld LLP and Jay L. Himes of Labaton Sucharow LLP as class counsel to represent you and other class members. Class counsel will apply to the court for payment of attorneys' fees and expenses from the settlement fund. The motion(s) by class counsel for attorneys' fees and expenses will be available for viewing on the settlement website, www.AftermarketAutolightsSettlement.com, on Oct. 23, 2013.
The court will hold the final approval hearing at 8:30 a.m. on Jan. 6, 2014, at the United States District Court for the Central District of California, 312 N. Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90012. At this hearing, the court will consider whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. The court will take into consideration any written objections filed in accordance with the instructions in the notice and decide whether to approve payment of fees and expenses to class counsel.
This is only a summary. For detailed information or to view the full notice and settlement agreement visit the website at www.AftermarketAutolightsSettlement.com, call (888) 404-8013, or write the claims administrator, GCG, Inc. at P.O. Box 35100, Seattle, WA 98124-1100.
Do not call the court or the clerk of the court for additional information about the settlement.
