Molekule Inc. recently came under the spotlight for engaging in false advertisements of its air purifier which were promoted for outperforming the traditional HEPA filters in terms of effectiveness. Plaintiffs who purchased the covered products found no substantial improvements and in some cases degradation in the existing air quality after bringing home the Molekule air purifiers. This caused them to file a class-action lawsuit against the organization which has received a settlement making claimants eligible to cash compensation and coupon for replacing the air filter of their Molekule purifier. You can read on to know more about the details of this settlement.
Eligibility For Making Claim: Settlement class members comprise consumers who bought the Molekule Air, Molekule Air Pro, Molekule Air Mini, the Molekule Air Mini+, or the Molekule Air Pro Rx on or before Oct. 12, 2021, in the United States and haven’t given their nod to the arbitration provision in Molekule’s terms and conditions.
Proof Of Purchase: Receipt or similar documentation from a third-party seller establishing the fact that a covered air purifier was purchased by the claimant in the United States on or before 12th October 2021. It will also help determine the date of purchase and offer a photograph of the serial number for verification.
Potential Claim Amount: The recent $1.2 million class-action lawsuit settlement has made class action members eligible for both cash and coupon compensation. Though the exact cash payment amount has not yet been determined, according to estimates, the compensation for one air purifier is most likely to be around $43.80. All the cash payments will be remitted by cheques and sent to the Class Member’s address via first-class mail. A coupon will also be sent to the Class Members that can be utilized for purchasing a new air filter for the Molekule air purifier. Class members are eligible to receive coupons with a maximum capping of $250 under the settlement.
Case Summary: Since its establishment in 2014, Molekule has been engaged in the manufacturing of home air purifiers. The company has been alleged in a class-action lawsuit by plaintiffs for participating in false and misleading advertising. Its air purifiers were advertised to be able to eradicate viruses like Covid-19 and pollutants from the air whereas the reality is considerably different.
Plaintiffs Friday Apaliski, Angelique Fish, John Joyal, and Jamie Waterman purchased Molekule Air, Air Mini, and Air Mini+ purifiers for prices ranging between $500 and $800 to purify the air of wildfire smoke and other allergens. While Molekule advertised its air purifiers to be able to eradicate the full spectrum of indoor air pollutants, product testing revealed the inferior quality of air filters which failed to improve air quality and even made the quality worse in certain circumstances.
According to the claims made by Molekule, its photoelectrochemical oxidation (PECO) filters surpasses the efficiency of the traditional high-efficiency particulate-arresting (HEPA) filters. Its PECO filter has been described as the world’s foremost molecular air purifier which removes large particulates using a physical filter followed by the removal of contaminants and their subsequent destruction using the PECO filter.
Plaintiffs argued that the claims made by Molekule about its air purifiers outperforming the HEPA filters by destroying airborne pollutants, eradicating indoor pollutants, providing relief from asthma and allergy were not true. Molekule has completely denied the allegations put forth by the plaintiffs and has revealed that its advertisements are both clear and accurate. The company has also added that its claims have been tested at independent laboratories which vouched in favor of the same. Though no ruling has been made by the court in this case, all parties have agreed to resolve the situation by agreeing to the proposed settlement agreement.
Settlement Website: AirPurifierSettlement.com
Claim Form: https://www.claimsettlementportal.com/molekule/
Deadline for Submitting Claim: 05/31/2022
Final Hearing Date: 01/07/2022
Important Note: If any Class Member doesn’t want to remain a part of the class, then they have the option to opt-out. On choosing this route, they will not receive any compensation from the current settlement but can pursue other claims in the future. The last date for opting out of this settlement is 17th December 2021. Class Members who wish to object to the settlement can do so by 17th December 2021.
Case Name: Apaliski, et al. v. Molekule Inc., Case No. 1:20-CV-01548-RGA in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware
Claims Administrator
Air Purifier Settlement
RG/2 Claims Administration
P.O. Box 59479
Philadelphia, PA 19102-9479
1-866-742-4955
[email protected]
Fax: 215-827-5551
Class Counsel
Jason S. Rathod
MIGLIACCIO & RATHOD LLP
Defense Counsel
KEKER, VAN NEST & PETERS LLP