SEATTLE, March 16, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ —
If You Are a Washington Consumer Who Bought a Television, Monitor, Notebook Computer, Color-Screen Cell Phone, or Color-Screen iPod Between January 1, 1998 and December 1, 2006 That Contained a Flat Panel Screen
You May Be Eligible to Participate in a Settlement.
The Washington State Attorney General reached a settlement in an antitrust lawsuit involving the price of thin film transistor liquid crystal display flat panels (“LCD Flat Panels”) purchased indirectly from the manufacturers named in the lawsuit and incorporated into consumer products.
Who is included in the settlement?
The settlement benefits the following Washington consumers (individuals and businesses) and governmental entities that purchased product(s) containing an LCD Flat Panel between January 1, 1998 and December 1, 2006:
Washington consumers: The Washington State Attorney General reached a settlement on behalf of Washington consumers. You are eligible to participate in the settlement if you or your business:
- purchased an LCD Flat Panel product between January 1, 1998 and December 1, 2006; and
- resided or had headquarters in Washington at the time of purchase; and
- purchased the LCD Flat Panel product from a retailer or someone other than the manufacturer of the component screen; and
- purchased the LCD Flat Panel product for your own use and not for resale.
Products containing an LCD Flat Panel during the relevant time period include most televisions referred to as LCD or LED TVs, flat-screen monitors, notebook computers, color-screen cell phones purchased beginning in 2004, and color-screen iPods.
Washington state governmental entities: The Washington State Attorney General also settled claims on behalf of the state governmental entities that participated in the lawsuit.
What do the settlements provide?
The settlements total more than $63 million. More details are in the Settlement Agreements and other documents available at www.lcdsettlement.atg.wa.gov. The cost of administering the settlements, as well as the Washington State Attorney General’s attorney fees and costs, will come out of the Settlement Fund. A portion of the Settlement Fund will be distributed to the state governmental entities that participated in the lawsuit. The remainder of the Settlement Fund will be used to pay individual and business consumers in Washington.
The amount you or your business could expect to receive will vary depending on the product(s) purchased, up to a maximum of $108 per LCD television, $70 per flat-screen monitor, and $75 per notebook computer, with lesser amounts for color-screen cell phones and color-screen iPods.
However, your recovery could be a smaller amount than the maximum because there is a limited amount of money in the Settlement Fund. The amount paid per product and the number of claims allowed per consumer will depend on the number of claims submitted. Depending on the number of claims submitted, it is also possible that all or a portion of the fund will be distributed to charities or other beneficiaries.
How can I get a payment?
You must submit a Claim Form to get a payment. You can submit a Claim Form online or by mail. The deadline to submit a Claim Form is June 17, 2016. Claim forms are available at www.lcdsettlement.atg.wa.gov or by calling 1-866-778-9468. You do not need to pay a fee to participate in this settlement.
For More Information: 1-866-778-9468
www.lcdsettlement.atg.wa.gov
Contact: (Press Inquiries only – all questions regarding the claims process should be directed to 1-866-778-9468) Alison Dempsey-Hall
Deputy Communications Director| Washington State Attorney General’s Office
E-mail: alisond@atg.wa.gov
