The Philips Respironics class action lawsuit has produced three separate settlements totaling more than $1.5 billion: a $479 million economic loss class settlement for people who bought the recalled CPAP, BiPAP, and ventilator machines, a $1.075 billion personal injury program for users who say the devices caused physical harm, and a $25 million medical monitoring fund for future health problems. All three have received final court approval, and payments are going out on a rolling basis through 2026.1In Re: Philips Recalled CPAP, Bi-Level PAP, and Mechanical Ventilator Products Litigation, MDL No. 3014
Why the Machines Were Recalled
In June 2021, Philips recalled roughly 15 million sleep and breathing devices worldwide after finding that a polyester-based polyurethane foam inside the machines could break down and release black particles and volatile chemicals that users could inhale or swallow. The FDA classified it as a Class I recall, its most serious category. The recall covered machines made between 2009 and April 2021 across about 20 models, including the first-generation DreamStation (the bulk of the affected units), the SystemOne series, Trilogy 100 and 200 ventilators, the Dorma 400 and 500, and several A-Series BiPAP ventilators.
Chemical testing identified toluene diisocyanate and toluene diamine as possible degradation byproducts, both linked to respiratory irritation and classified as potential carcinogens. Philips reported in July 2023 that its “Type A” foam did not produce these chemicals above safety thresholds and that its devices were “not associated with increased cancer risk.” In October 2023 the FDA said Philips’ data was “not adequate to fully evaluate the risks” and ordered more testing.
The $479 Million Economic Loss Settlement
This is the settlement for people who simply bought or leased one of the recalled devices, regardless of whether they were physically hurt. Judge Joy Flowers Conti in the Western District of Pennsylvania granted final approval on April 25, 2024.
The deal includes a minimum of $445 million in cash payments to device users, up to $15 million for people who bought replacement machines out of pocket after the recall, and $34 million for insurers and other third-party payers. Individual cash awards depend on the device: about $50 for a DreamStation CPAP up to more than $1,500 for a Trilogy 100 or 200 ventilator. Returning the recalled device to Philips adds another $100 per device.
Participation was heavy. More than five million class members received direct notice, over 99.9 percent of eligible claimants participated, roughly three million registered for benefits, and 1.6 million returned devices for payment. Users who chose the Accelerated Implementation Option by returning devices before August 9, 2024 got paid faster, without waiting for appeals. Payments have been issuing on a rolling basis through spring 2026.
Angeion Group administers the claims at RespironicsCPAP-ELSettlement.com and at 1-855-912-3432. Attorneys’ fees of $94.4 million were paid separately by Philips and did not come out of class member awards.
The $1.075 Billion Personal Injury Settlement
This is the settlement for people who allege the foam actually caused them physical harm. It was announced on May 9, 2024, and is structured as a private, non-class program rather than a class action, covering individual claimants one by one.
Who Qualifies
Eligible claimants had to be U.S. citizens or residents alleging a qualifying injury from a recalled device. If represented by an attorney, they had to have retained counsel on or before April 29, 2024. Unrepresented claimants had to have filed a personal injury claim in the MDL or in Massachusetts state court by June 21, 2024. Registration packets were due January 31, 2025, with supplementation by February 20, 2025. Those deadlines have passed; new claimants cannot enter the program.
Qualifying respiratory injuries include new or worsening asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis, and pneumonitis. Qualifying cancers include lung cancer, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia, and cancers of the oral cavity, throat, nasal passages, larynx, esophagus, and thyroid.
How Much Claimants Receive
Claimants pick one of two tracks. The Expedited Payment Program pays fixed amounts under a simplified review and moves faster. The Full Evaluation Program uses a point system, from 25 to 2,750 points based on injury severity and other factors, with anyone qualifying at the lowest severity level guaranteed a minimum gross settlement of $4,000. Allocation Special Master Matt Garretson offered illustrative averages: about $26,875 per case if 40,000 claimants qualify, or about $35,000 if 30,000 qualify.
An Extraordinary Injury Fund covers the most serious cases: death, surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, feeding tubes, tracheotomies, extended hospitalization, or permanent impairment. EIF applications ran from April 1 through August 1, 2025.
Where Things Stand
Philips could have walked away if fewer than 95 percent of eligible claimants registered. That threshold was met. A court filing on March 14, 2025 confirmed Philips deposited the full $1,075,000,000 into the Qualified Settlement Fund and that more than 35,000 claimants from the census registry accepted the settlement. BrownGreer PLC administers the claims at RespironicsPISettlement.com. According to the settlement FAQ, EPP claims will process faster than FEP claims, with the gap expected to be “a matter of months (not years).”
There is no traditional appeal. A claimant who disagrees with an award can file a request for reconsideration, but only for clerical errors, misapplied usage dates, or overlooked medical records. The Special Master’s ruling after reconsideration is final.
The $25 Million Medical Monitoring Settlement
The third piece is a class settlement for users who have not been diagnosed with an injury but may develop health problems later. It sets aside $25 million for medical monitoring. Judge Conti granted final approval on December 5, 2024.
The FDA Consent Decree Is Separate
A separate federal enforcement action is sometimes confused with the class settlements, but it does not pay money to users. On April 9, 2024, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Colville entered a consent decree of permanent injunction against Philips RS North America, Respironics California, Philips Holding USA, and CEO Roy Jakobs. The Department of Justice had alleged that Philips manufactured “adulterated” devices and “misbranded” them by not properly reporting corrections and removals to the FDA.
The decree barred Philips from manufacturing or distributing most sleep and respiratory devices at its facilities in Murrysville, New Kensington, and Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania and Carlsbad, California, with limited exceptions for medically necessary equipment. To resume full operations Philips must bring in independent experts, complete the FDA-approved recall remediation plan, and get written FDA confirmation of apparent compliance. The decree also requires Philips to offer patients either a remediated device with a renewed warranty or a partial refund based on depreciation, and it blocks commercial CPAP and BiPAP exports until U.S. remediation targets are met.
Related Cases: SoClean and Canada
A parallel federal proceeding, MDL No. 3021, involves SoClean, which sold ozone-based CPAP cleaning devices marketed as compatible with Philips machines. The FDA has said such ozone cleaners “are not legally marketed” for CPAP cleaning, and Philips’ own testing found that ozone cleaning accelerates foam breakdown. In January 2024, Philips countersued SoClean and its private equity owner DW Health Partners for false advertising, trademark dilution, and deceptive trade practices, and filed a contribution claim to shift some personal injury liability. The court dismissed the contribution complaint in February 2025 on jurisdictional grounds but let Philips refile it as a separate action. Trial in the SoClean MDL was set for July 2025.
Canadian users are covered by parallel class actions in British Columbia (Morel v. Koninklijke Philips N.V., SCBC No. S216008) and Quebec (Roy c. Respironics Inc., File No. 500-06-001154-216). A partial settlement covering economic loss claims was approved on October 8, 2025, with Philips paying CAD $20 million administered by KPMG. The filing period closed in early March 2026 and payments were scheduled to begin in May 2026. The Canadian personal injury portion has not been resolved, with a certification hearing set for December 2026.