Premier Nutrition Corporation agreed to pay roughly $90 million to resolve the Joint Juice class action settlement, which covered claims that the company falsely advertised its glucosamine drinks as effective for joint health. The money is split between a New York settlement of $19,160,186.47 and a multi-state settlement of $70,839,813.53 covering eight additional states. Both received final court approval in May 2026, and the claim filing deadline of May 18, 2026, has passed. If you were identified through retailer purchase records, you may still receive an automatic payment without filing anything.
Who Was Covered and How Much They Get
The settlements are legally separate but administered together at JointJuiceSettlement.com by JND Legal Administration.1JointJuiceSettlement.com. Joint Juice Settlement Homepage Which one applies depends on where the Joint Juice was purchased.
New York Purchasers
The New York settlement, from Montera v. Premier Nutrition Corporation (Case No. 3:16-cv-06980 RS) in the Northern District of California, covers consumers who bought Joint Juice in New York between December 5, 2013, and December 28, 2021.2JointJuiceSettlement.com. New York Settlement The estimated payout is about $50 per eligible unit, with the fund divided evenly based on total eligible units claimed. Judge Richard Seeborg granted final approval on May 14, 2026.
Multi-State Purchasers
The multi-state settlement resolved Bland v. Premier Nutrition Corporation and the related Sonner v. Premier Nutrition Company, LLC (Case No. RG19002714) in Alameda County Superior Court before Judge Michael Markman.3Classaction.org. Multi-State Preliminary Approval Order Coverage runs through December 31, 2022, in each state, with these start dates:4JointJuiceSettlement.com. Multi-State Settlement
- California: on or after March 1, 2009
- Connecticut: on or after November 18, 2013
- Florida: on or after November 18, 2012
- Illinois: on or after November 21, 2013
- Maryland: on or after December 12, 2013
- Massachusetts: on or after January 1, 2013
- Michigan: on or after December 12, 2010
- Pennsylvania: on or after November 18, 2010
Payouts here depend on the package. Smaller units like six-packs of ready-to-drink bottles and seven-count powder packets are estimated at $10 per unit; larger units like 30-packs and one-liter bottles are estimated at $25 per unit.5JointJuiceSettlement.com. Multi-State Settlement FAQ Claimants could claim up to six units without receipts; more required proof of purchase such as receipts, order confirmations, or retailer account records. Final approval came on May 26, 2026.
Automatic Payments Versus Filed Claims
In both settlements, consumers identified through retailer purchase records were designated Direct Payment Class Members and receive payment automatically, with no claim form required. Everyone else had to submit a claim by May 18, 2026, and that window has closed.4JointJuiceSettlement.com. Multi-State Settlement Actual amounts may be adjusted based on the number of valid claims filed.
The multi-state fund is reduced by court-approved attorneys’ fees of up to $23,377,138.46, litigation expenses of about $825,000, and service awards of $10,000 for each of the ten class representatives.6PR Newswire. Joint Juice Class Action Settlement Notice Money left over from uncashed checks will go to the Rheumatology Research Foundation under a cy pres arrangement.7Classaction.org. Bland Memorandum in Support of Preliminary Approval
Why Premier Nutrition Paid
Joint Juice packaging told consumers to “Use Daily for Healthy, Flexible Joints” and said its glucosamine and chondroitin blend “helps keep cartilage lubricated and flexible,” with the Arthritis Foundation logo displayed on the label.8U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Montera v. Premier Nutrition Corporation, No. 22-16375 Premier Nutrition spent just under $40 million advertising the product between 2009 and 2015, aimed at consumers with osteoarthritis and joint pain. Class actions filed in the Northern District of California starting in late 2016 alleged those claims were deceptive because the underlying ingredients do not do what the labels promised.9Truth in Advertising. Joint Juice Dietary Supplements
Plaintiffs relied on peer-reviewed, non-industry-funded research finding no meaningful effect from glucosamine and chondroitin on joint pain or function. At trial they introduced ten meta-analyses reaching that conclusion, plus three NIH-funded studies. The most prominent was the GAIT trial, a $12.5 million NIH study of 1,583 patients with knee osteoarthritis published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2006, which found that glucosamine and chondroitin, alone or combined, were not significantly better than placebo across the overall patient group.10New England Journal of Medicine. Glucosamine, Chondroitin Sulfate, and the Two in Combination for Painful Knee Osteoarthritis A subgroup of 354 patients with moderate-to-severe pain saw statistically significant relief from combination treatment, but the lead researcher called that finding preliminary because of the small sample size.11EurekAlert. Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial Results
Internal documents cut against the company. A 2011 email from a Premier Nutrition brand director stated “there is no scientific evidence for chondroitin at 200 mg.” A note from the company president about a potential study said, “if poor—don’t publish.” Premier Nutrition countered with industry-funded studies showing positive results and argued Joint Juice also delivered benefits through hydration and added Vitamins C and D. Independent meta-analyses published after GAIT found a gradual decrease in reported effectiveness as more rigorous data accumulated, with industry-sponsored trials consistently producing more favorable results than independent ones.12National Library of Medicine. Glucosamine for Osteoarthritis The American College of Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation have recommended against using glucosamine and chondroitin.
The Trial Verdict
The lead case that went to trial, brought by Mary Beth Montera under New York consumer protection law, produced a June 7, 2022, jury verdict finding that Premier Nutrition engaged in deceptive and misleading practices and that Joint Juice was “valueless for its advertised purpose.”8U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Montera v. Premier Nutrition Corporation, No. 22-16375 The jury found 166,249 units of Joint Juice were sold in New York during the class period and set actual damages at $1,488,078.49. Judge Seeborg added statutory damages of $8,312,450, calculated at $50 per unit.
The verdict and the appeals that followed pushed both sides toward the broader 2025 resolution that produced the current settlements. Premier Nutrition has denied any wrongdoing throughout the litigation. The Joint Juice product line was discontinued in the first quarter of fiscal 2023.13SEC. BellRing Brands SEC Filing
What to Do Now
The claim deadline has passed, so new claim forms are no longer being accepted. If you bought Joint Juice through a retailer that shared purchase records with the settlement administrator, watch for an automatic payment. Class members with questions about the status of a filed claim or a direct payment can check JointJuiceSettlement.com, where the New York and multi-state pages continue to post administration updates.2JointJuiceSettlement.com. New York Settlement