JUUL Class Action: Payments, Rejected Claims, and Antitrust Case

The JUUL class action settlement is a roughly $300 million consumer settlement in which JUUL Labs agreed to pay $255 million and Altria Group agreed to pay $45,531,250 to resolve claims that U.S. purchasers were misled about the addictiveness and safety of JUUL e-cigarettes.¹ Initial payments went out beginning October 18, 2024, a supplemental round began March 20, 2026, and the claims process is now closed.²

What the Lawsuit Claimed

The consumer case was one track within a multidistrict litigation consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California under In re JUUL Labs, Inc. Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 19-md-02913-WHO, before Judge William H. Orrick III.¹

Purchasers alleged that JUUL and Altria participated in an enterprise that misrepresented how addictive and how safe the products were, causing consumers to pay more than they otherwise would have. Plaintiffs also alleged that JUUL marketed unlawfully to minors through candy-flavored pods, social media, and youth-oriented imagery. The consumer class action sought only economic losses. It did not include personal injury claims.¹³

Who Was Included

The settlement class covered anyone in the United States who bought a JUUL product from a brick-and-mortar retailer, an online retailer, or directly from JUUL on or before December 7, 2022.⁴ Judge Orrick certified four subclasses: a nationwide class, a nationwide youth class, a California class, and a California youth class. Only 197 people asked to be excluded.³

The JUUL portion received final approval on September 19, 2023, and the Altria portion on March 14, 2024, with the court finding the recovery “fair, reasonable, and adequate” given the risks of trial.²³

How Payment Amounts Were Calculated

Payments were not dollar-for-dollar refunds. The settlement administrator assigned points based on each claimant’s documented average annual spending on JUUL products. Claims without proof of purchase were capped at $300. Anything above that required receipts.³⁴

One claim covered both the JUUL and Altria settlements. The filing deadline was February 5, 2024, and claimants could submit online, by mail, or by returning a postcard with a unique code if they had purchased directly from JUUL’s website.¹

Why So Many Claims Were Rejected

More than 14 million claims came in, but Judge Orrick noted that a “substantial number” showed signs of fraud or were duplicates, and he estimated only about 2 million were likely valid.³ After review, approximately 843,451 claims were approved. Lead class counsel Dena Sharp said the court used a “careful process to winnow the claims” by screening for duplicates, fraud indicators, and proof of purchase. About 25% of approved claimants had bought directly from JUUL’s website, which made verification easier.⁵

Initial Payments in 2024 and 2025

Initial payments were sent to eligible class members starting on or around October 18, 2024, with additional initial distributions continuing through May 30, 2025. Of the 843,451 approved claimants, 733,055 accepted their payments.⁶

The Supplemental Round in March 2026

Roughly 110,000 claimants never cashed or deposited their first checks, leaving about $15.37 million in the settlement fund. A supplemental round began on March 20, 2026, redistributing that money pro rata to claimants who had deposited their original payment.²

To receive a second payment, the calculated redistribution amount had to be at least $15, which meant claimants whose initial award was below $183.27 did not qualify. About 165,982 claimants met the threshold. The average supplemental payment was $92.48, and the maximum was $1,413.63.⁷⁶

As of mid-2026, the settlement administrator is no longer accepting new claims or disputes. Award eligibility and calculations are final.²

What This Settlement Did Not Cover

The consumer class action addressed economic loss only. Personal injury claims were handled on a separate track within the MDL and the parallel California coordinated proceeding, and those cases were resolved through global settlements announced in December 2022 (JUUL Labs) and May 2023 (Altria).⁸⁹

State attorney general enforcement actions are separate as well. A $462 million multistate settlement in April 2023 resolved consumer protection and marketing claims brought by seven states and the District of Columbia, and dozens of individual states reached their own consent judgments. Those funds go to state youth-vaping programs and enforcement, not to consumers.¹⁰

The Antitrust Case Is a Different Lawsuit

A separate class action against JUUL and Altria is still active and is not part of the $300 million consumer settlement. Filed in April 2020 and consolidated as In re: Juul Labs, Inc. Antitrust Litigation, Case No. 3:20-cv-02345-WHO, the case alleges that when Altria invested over $12 billion in JUUL in December 2018, it agreed to pull its own competing e-cigarettes and cede shelf space so JUUL could keep monopoly pricing. The claims are brought under Section 1 of the Sherman Act and Section 7 of the Clayton Act.¹¹

On February 5, 2026, Judge Orrick certified a nationwide class of direct purchasers, meaning people and entities who bought e-cigarette products directly from JUUL (such as through juul.com) between October 5, 2018, and February 26, 2026. Retail store purchases are excluded.¹² On April 27, 2026, the Ninth Circuit granted Altria permission to appeal the certification, with one central issue being whether California’s Cartwright Act reaches out-of-state transactions.¹³ The opt-out deadline for class members is June 13, 2026, and trial is scheduled for September 28, 2026. Defendants deny any antitrust violation and say the Altria investment did not raise prices or reduce competition.

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JUUL Class Action. Settlement Class Notice
2
JUUL Class Action. Settlement Updates
3
Courthouse News Service. Judge Grants Final Approval to $300 Million Class Action Settlement With Vaping Giant JUUL
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JUUL Class Action. Settlement FAQ
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BBC. JUUL Settlement Claims Verification
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Claim Depot. JUUL Class Action Payments
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JUUL Class Action. Payment FAQ
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Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein. Plaintiffs Co-Lead Counsel Announce Four Major Settlements With JUUL Labs
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Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein. Final Approval Granted to $235M Settlement With Altria
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Office of the New York Attorney General. Attorney General James Secures $462 Million From JUUL for Its Role in the Youth Vaping Epidemic
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Saveri Law Firm. E-Cigarette Antitrust Litigation
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PR Newswire. JUUL Labs Antitrust Litigation Class Notice
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