If you received a postcard notice by direct mail or an email containing a notice about this Lawsuit, you were identified as a potential Class Member who may be eligible to receive benefits under this Settlement. The Court directed that a notice be sent to you because, as a potential Class Member, you have a right to know about your options before the Court rules on the proposed Settlement.

Please Note: Receipt of a Notice does not guarantee that you are a Class Member or that you are entitled to receive benefits from the Settlement. If you believe you are a Class Member and wish to be eligible to participate in the Settlement benefits, you are required to submit a Claim Form online or postmarked by mail no later than September 28, 2018.

The Plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the Defendants, alleging that the top seals of the blade assembly in containers of certain Vitamix blenders were defective because they deposit tiny black polytetrafluoroethylene (“PTFE”) flecks into blended food and drink.

In the Lawsuit, the Plaintiffs claimed, among other things, breach of express and implied warranties of merchantability, breach of contract, negligent design, engineering, and manufacture, fraud and fraudulent concealment, unjust enrichment, and violation of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act.

In agreeing to settle this Lawsuit, Defendants maintain that they complied with the law and do not admit any wrongdoing. Vita-Mix denies that any of its products were defective in design, manufacture, or engineering and claims that Plaintiffs did not suffer any losses or actual injury. The Settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing.  

In a class action, one or more people, called class representatives, sue on behalf of people who have similar claims. In this case, the class representatives are Vicki Linneman and Obadiah Ritchey. One court resolves the issues for all class members, except those who exclude themselves from the Class. The Honorable Susan Dlott, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Ohio—Western Division, has jurisdiction over the case in which the parties have submitted this Settlement for approval.

The Court did not decide in favor of the Plaintiffs or Defendants. Instead, both sides agreed to a Settlement. Through the Settlement, Plaintiffs and Defendants each avoid the substantial cost of protracted litigation, and possibly, even trial and appeals, and the Settlement benefits go to the class members. The class representatives and their attorneys believe the Settlement is in the Class’s best interest given the cost and uncertainty of further litigation compared against the substantial benefits Class Members will receive.

Yes, if you are a Class Member. Please review these FAQs for more information about who may be eligible to participate in this class action Settlement. The deadline to file a Claim Form was September 28, 2018 and has passed.

All Vitamix containers manufactured during the Class Period have the same top seal in the blade assembly.  Class Counsel's position is that all of these seals produce black flecks of PTFE.  Vitamix disagrees.  You may see black flecks if you blend water for two minutes or more and pour the water into a white bowl.  The flecks are very small, and would generally be unnoticeable in blended food or drink.  Regardless of whether your container flecks, you can participate in the Settlement. 

You may be a Class Member if (1) you own a Vitamix household blender with a blade assembly dated on or after January 1, 2007 until October 1, 2016; or (2) if you own a Vitamix commercial blender that was purchased through a third party such as a dealer, distributor, or restaurant supply store and not directly from Vita-Mix on or after September 15, 2015 but before August 9, 2016 (or before April 7, 2017 in the case of a commercial blender from the XL product line).

The blade assembly date can be found on the top side of one of the blades in the blade assembly. The blade assembly is located at the bottom of the blender container. Below is a picture of a blade assembly containing the blade assembly date. The “06-17” date stamp means the blade assembly was manufactured during June of 2017. 

The Class does not include Defendants and their officers, and directors; Class Counsel and their partners, associates, lawyers, and employees; and the judicial officers and their immediate family members and associated Court staff assigned to this case. The Class also does not include persons who own one or more otherwise eligible blenders received as a benefit, gift, award, or compensation directly from Vita-Mix in connection with such person’s work for Vita-Mix unless such person separately purchased any blender(s) described in this Section, in which case their eligibility for class membership and benefits is limited to any such purchased blender(s).

If you are still not sure whether you are included, you can review the relevant court pleadings available on our Important Documents page.

Settlement Class Members who submitted a valid Claim Form will be eligible to receive benefits depending on their circumstances. Owners of Vitamix household blenders chose between a transferable gift card in the amount of $70 (for use on the Vita-Mix website or in any Vita-Mix owned store), or a free new replacement blade assembly that does not fleck.

Class Members who own multiple household blenders chose between a transferable gift card in the amount of $140 (for use on the Vita-Mix website or in any Vita-Mix owned store), or installation of a free new replacement blade assembly that does not fleck in their existing container.

Owners of one or more Vitamix commercial blenders submitting Valid Claims can receive a new replacement blade assembly from Vita-Mix, up to a maximum of two replacement blade assemblies.

The Settlement permits use of up to two $70 or one $140 gift card per household or address, for or towards the purchase of any Vitamix blender or container. A list of qualifying Vitamix products (as of March 5, 2019) may be found below. PLEASE NOTE: The 20-ounce Blending Cups with SELF-DETECT and the 8-ounce Blending Bowls with SELF-DETECT are compatible only with Vitamix Ascent Series and Venturist Series blenders.

More than one Vitamix blender or container may be purchased in a single transaction/online checkout. For example, a $70 gift card can be used to purchase two 20-ounce personal cups at $29.95 each. The gift card can only be used once, however, and any amount remaining on the gift card after the transaction is forfeited.

The gift card may not be used to pay shipping costs and/or taxes.

The gift card is transferable, has no expiration date, and may be used in conjunction with any Vitamix sale or promotion.

Listed below are the blenders and containers to which your gift card may be applied subject to availability. Prices are subject to change. See vitamix.com for a current list of available products and prices.

The Court held a hearing on March 27, 2018 to decide whether to approve the Settlement, and Judge Dlott approved the Settlement on May 3, 2018. However, there may be appeals. It is always uncertain whether these appeals can be resolved, and resolving them may take time, perhaps more than a year. It also takes time for the Claim Forms to be processed. The Settlement Administrator will update the website to keep Class Members informed about relevant timing issues.

If you own one blender, and your Claim Form lists one serial number, you are eligible for one $70 gift card or one replacement blade assembly, regardless of whether you also own additional containers and/or blade assemblies.  

Unless you excluded yourself, you stay in the Class, and that means that you can’t sue, continue to sue, or be part of any other lawsuits against Defendants about the legal issues in this case. 

The serial number is located on the back or on the bottom of the motor base, under the bar code.  Serial numbers contain 18 digits.  

The deadline to exclude yourself from the Settlement was on March 7, 2018.

If you requested to be excluded, you will not get a gift card or replacement blade assembly. Also, you cannot object to the Settlement. You will not be legally bound by anything that happens in the Action. If you excluded yourself, you may be able to sue (or continue to sue) Defendants in the future about the legal issues in the case.

No. Unless you excluded yourself, you give up your right to sue Defendants and other released parties for the claims that this Settlement resolves. You were required to exclude yourself from this Class to pursue your own lawsuit. 

No. If you excluded yourself, do not send in a Claim Form to ask for a gift card or a replacement blade assembly from this Settlement. You may exercise any right you may have to sue, continue to sue, or be part of a different lawsuit against Defendants and other released parties.

Yes. For purposes of this Settlement, the Court preliminarily appointed Bill Markovits and Paul De Marco of Markovits, Stock & DeMarco, LLC, Jeffrey Goldenberg of Goldenberg Schneider, LPA, and Justin Walker of Finney Law Firm LLC to represent the Class as Class Counsel. You will not be charged for Class Counsel. The Court will determine the amount of Class Counsel’s fees and costs, which Defendants will pay as part of the Settlement. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

Class Counsel will request the Court to award attorneys’ fees up to $9,000,000, plus reimbursement for litigation expenses and costs incurred to be paid by the Defendants. Class Counsel will also ask for a $3,000 Service Award to be paid to each of the Plaintiffs serving as the class representatives. Defendants will pay Class Counsel’s fees and costs, and the Service Awards as awarded by the Court. You have the right to object to the requested fees and costs, and Service Award. Defendants will also pay the costs to administer the Settlement. Vita-Mix objects to the size of the fee award Class Counsel seeks and reserves its rights with respect to Class Counsel’s fee request.

Class Counsel will file a Fee Application for an award of Attorneys’ Fees and Expenses and Service Awards, no later than January 31, 2018. Once filed, a copy of this Fee Application will be available for download on the Important Documents page.

Class Members are not personally liable for any attorneys’ fees or expenses or Service Awards, and the payment of attorneys’ fees and expenses and Service Awards by Vita-Mix will not reduce the benefits available to Class Members.

The deadline to object to the Settlement was on March 7, 2018.

Objecting is simply telling the Court that you don’t like something about the Settlement. You can object only if you stay in the Class. Excluding yourself or opting out is telling the Court that you don’t want to be part of the Class. If you exclude yourself, you have no basis to object because the case no longer affects you.

The Court held a Final Fairness Hearing at 10 a.m. on March 27, 2018 at the Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse, 100 East Fifth Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 in Courtroom 7. At the Fairness Hearing, the Court considered whether the Settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate. If there were objections that were received by the deadline, the Court considered them. Judge Dlott listened to any people who had asked to speak at the hearing (see Question 23 below). After the Fairness Hearing, the Court approved the Settlement on May 3, 2018.

No. Class Counsel answered any questions Judge Dlott may have. You were welcome to come at your own expense. If you submitted an objection, you did not have to come to Court and talk about it. You were also allowed to pay your own lawyer to attend, but it was not necessary.

Yes. You were allowed to ask the Court for permission to speak at the Fairness Hearing. However, the Fairness Hearing has passed.

If you do nothing, and the Settlement is approved by the Court, you will not receive any benefits from this Settlement. Unless you excluded yourself from the Class, you won’t be able to start a lawsuit, continue with a lawsuit, or be part of any other lawsuits against the Defendants or released parties about the legal issues resolved by this Settlement, ever again.

Yes. The Settlement Agreement contains more details and governs this Settlement. Copies of the Settlement Agreement and pleadings and other documents relating to the case are on file at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio – Western Division and may be examined and copied at any time during regular office hours.

The Settlement Agreement and other relevant pleadings (including the postcard notice and the longer Settlement Notice) are also available for review and download on the Important Documents page.

For more information, please visit the Important Documents page, where you can download and review relevant court pleadings and a claim form.

You should not direct questions to the Court.