On April 17, the US state of Minnesota reached a settlement agreement with e-cigarette manufacturer Juul and Altria, with the settlement amount yet to be disclosed. Minnesota Attorney General previously accused the two companies of targeting minors in their advertisements, thus violating state law.
US Minnesota state reaches settlement with Juul and Altria
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who represented the state in the lawsuit, announced the settlement agreement before the closing arguments in the case but did not provide details of the terms. Ellison said in a press release that these details would be "soon" disclosed. However, Ellison stated before the trial that he was seeking more than $100 million in compensation.
In a statement, Ellison said, "One of the reasons I brought this case was to send a message: we will not tolerate the marketing of nicotine products to young people in Minnesota."
Ellison concluded:
"We have reached a settlement agreement that best serves the interests of the people of Minnesota."
In 2019, Ellison sued Juul and later named its parent company Altria as a defendant. He claimed they disregarded consumer protection laws, breached reasonable duty of care, and caused public harm.
Largest settlement reached
Previously, Juul reached the largest multistate agreement to date to end a series of disputes over its alleged deceptive advertising targeting children. Settlement regions included California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, and the District of Columbia. They all accused it of violating their respective consumer protection laws.
These regions reached a $462 million settlement with Juul.
In a statement on reaching a settlement with seven regional attorneys general, Juul said the agreement was another key part of its "ongoing commitment to addressing the company's past issues" and brought the company closer to fully resolving its historical legal issues.
According to Juul, the company's multistate settlements have reached $1 billion. In addition, Juul has resolved more than 5,000 private lawsuits in the United States, involving 10,000 plaintiffs.
In its latest statement, Juul said:
"As we thoroughly resolve the company's past issues, we will focus on the road ahead, maximizing the value and impact of our product technology and scientific foundation."
According to two previous statistics, excluding the settlement amount in this Minnesota case, Juul has spent $3.108 billion in litigation funds for settlements in various US regions.
Also read:
[2] US brand Juul to pay $4.4 billion to reach settlements with states
[4] Two previous special topics: Juul settlement summary
[5] Juul to pay $462 million settlement amount to six US states and Washington, D.C.
References:
[1] Minnesota reaches settlement agreement with e-cigarette maker Juul
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