Topline
Just ahead of closing arguments in one of the first of thousands of cases against e-cigarette giant Juul Labs, Minnesota has settled a $100 million lawsuit against Juul and its parent company Altria Group, the state’s attorney general announced Monday.
Minnesota reached a settlement with Juul after a three-week trial.
Key Facts
The state announced the settlement on Monday, but the terms won’t be public for another 30 days, according to reports.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison filed the $100 million lawsuit in 2019, accusing Juul’s marketing of hooking thousands of kids on e-cigarettes.
Although it’s one of many states to file a complaint against the company, Minnesota was the first state to take the manufacturer to trial.
The three-week trial began on March 28 and closing remarks were previously scheduled to commence Monday.
Settling the thousands of lawsuits Juul has been hit with for its marketing strategies and addictive products is “a critical priority to secure certainty for our future,” a company spokesperson told Forbes on Monday.
Key Background
Juul has reached settlements with 48 states for a total of more than $1 billion, as well as settling more than 5,000 private litigation cases brought by roughly 10,000 plaintiffs, the company said in a statement following a separate settlement on Wednesday. That settlement was for $462 million to be paid to six states and Washington, D.C. related to how Juul marketed addictive nicotine products, which was announced on Wednesday.
Further Reading
Minnesota settles lawsuit against e-cigarette maker Juul (AP News)
Juul Takes Another Hit: Will Pay $462 Million To Settle Lawsuits Claiming It Advertised To Kids (Forbes)
Juul Lawsuit Update April 2023 (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherinehamilton/2023/04/17/minnesota-settles-with-juul-as-100-million-lawsuit-was-set-to-wrap-up/