Procter & Gamble Settles Aerosol Benzene Class Actions: Here’s How to Get Some Cash

The Procter & Gamble Company has agreed to settle more than 20 proposed class action lawsuits that alleged certain Secret, Old Spice, Herbal Essences, Aussie, Waterl<ss, Pantene and Hair Food aerosol products were contaminated with benzene, a known carcinogen, and the time has come for consumers to file a claim for some cash. 

The lawsuits, which were centralized into multidistrict litigation earlier this year, alleged the P&G aerosol antiperspirants, deodorants, body sprays, and dry shampoos and conditioners were inappropriately marketed and advertised given their labels contained no disclosure that the items contained benzene, a natural part of crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke. All of the products at issue have been recalled by P&G.

On this page, we’ll get into everything you need to know about the settlement, including how, where and by when to file a claim for compensation, what products are covered, when you might get some cash, and more.

Is there an official settlement website?

The official website for the Procter & Gamble benzene contamination settlement can be found at www.aerosolspraysettlement.com.

Who’s covered by the settlement?

The “class members” covered by the settlement include all individuals in the United States who bought Procter & Gamble aerosol antiperspirant, deodorant, body spray, dry shampoo or dry conditioner products sold under the Secret, Old Spice, Pantene, Waterl<ss, Aussie, Herbal Essences and Hair Food brands between November 4, 2015 and December 31, 2021.

What does the settlement provide?

If the settlement is granted final approval by the court, each consumer who files a valid claim can choose to receive either a monetary payment of up to $3.50 for each P&G aerosol product they purchased, or a voucher for the same product, for a maximum of $10.50 or three vouchers per household without proof of purchase.

For claims submitted with proof of purchase, the cash and voucher caps do not apply, the official settlement site says.

According to the settlement site, the value of each voucher will correspond as follows based on the particular P&G aerosol product a consumer purchased:

The number of vouchers or monetary payments that consumers can receive under the settlement will be reduced by how many vouchers they or a household member already received through P&G’s recall program.

Consumers who received three vouchers through the recall program but purchased additional covered aerosol products during the relevant timeframe can still file a claim for either one monetary payment of up to $3.50 or one voucher for the same P&G aerosol product they purchased, the official settlement site adds. The website stresses that consumers in this category must not attempt to file a claim for any additional vouchers or monetary payments under the settlement.

P&G has agreed to pay up to $8 million in cash payments and vouchers for valid claims submitted without proof of purchase. If the value of the valid claims exceeds this amount, any monetary payment you may receive for a claim submitted without proof of purchase may be reduced.

In addition to the cash and vouchers provided by the settlement, P&G has agreed to undertake certain corrective and preventive actions prior to and after the manufacture of any future units of its aerosol products, including testing finished products for benzene and requiring its suppliers and contract manufacturers to test raw materials.

How do I file a claim?

To file a claim online, head to this page. If you received direct notice about the settlement and have a class member ID, select the first option to begin. If not, select the second option. You do not need to have a class member ID in order to file a claim.

If you do not have a class member ID, you will need to fill out a brief registration form before you can proceed with your claim.

You must file a claim to receive benefits from the settlement. If you do nothing and the settlement is finalized, you will not receive a payment or voucher and will give up your right to sue Procter & Gamble over the allegations covered in the litigation.

What’s the deadline?

Claims must be filed online or postmarked by January 26, 2023.

When will I get my cash or voucher from the P&G benzene settlement?

For a class action settlement like this one, benefits are typically distributed after the court has granted the deal final approval and any appeals are resolved. The official settlement website does not provide a specific timeline for when payments may begin to be distributed to consumers who file valid claims.

A final approval hearing is scheduled for May 30, 2023.

How do I contact the settlement administrator?

Head to this page to reach out to Kroll Settlement Administration, the company handling the nuts and bolts of the settlement.

You said the cases were centralized in an MDL. What’s an MDL?

Multidistrict litigation (MDL) is a legal procedure whereby several related lawsuits are consolidated and transferred to a single court. The purpose of an MDL is to save time and money with the goal of ensuring similar outcomes in cases that involve large numbers of people and similar allegations.

For the P&G benzene contamination MDL, there ended up being more than 20 proposed class action lawsuits that settled all at once. ClassAction.org covered some of those suits here, here, here, here and here.

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