Under the terms of the Porsche dashboard glare class action settlement, eligible class members can receive compensation for enduring excessive windshield glare. The class action settlement combines two separate class action lawsuits. Plaintiffs Roy Jones and Alyce Rubinfield filed the first lawsuit and plaintiff Ed Chan filed the subsequent lawsuit.
The three plaintiffs contended the excessive glare reflecting off Porsche vehicle dashboards impaired driver vision. Each of the plaintiffs alleges the glare created a “clear, unreasonable safety risk” for the driver and passengers. In September of 2015, Porsche filed a motion for dismissal of the case by arguing the plaintiffs suffered from buyer’s remorse and not any glare emanating from Porsche vehicle windshields. The company contested the lawsuit because the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate any defects present in the windshields.
Both parties reached the Porsche class action settlement in December of 2016. In addition to compensatory damages, Porsche agreed to include a new notice in some vehicle model brochures to alert consumers of the risk posed by glare coming off Porsche vehicle windshields.
What You Need To Know
Class members who qualify to receive claim benefits “include all current or former U.S. owners or lessees of a Porsche vehicle from model years 2007 through 2016 equipped with a Luxor Beige, Sand Beige, Cognac, Platinum Grey, or Natural Brown dashboard.” For current owners and lessees of covered Porsche vehicles manufactured between 2011 and 2016, the potential award is a maximum of $175. Current owners of covered Porsche vehicles made between 2007 and 2010 can receive up to $75.
Claimants must submit proof of payment copies for expenses paid out of pocket to minimize windshield glare. Class counsel recommends claimants also submit other forms of documentation, including insurance paperwork and registration records to prove they owned a covered Porsche vehicle. Eligible class members have until September 21, 2017 to submit a valid claim form for the purchase of polarized sunglasses. Any remaining claims must file by June 25, 2018.
The judge presiding over Ed Chan, et al. v. Porsche Cars North America Inc., Case No. 2:15-cv-02106, consolidated with Roy Jones, et al. v. Porsche Cars North America Inc., Case No. 2:15-cv-05766, in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey has set the date for the final hearing on October 6, 2017. The class action settlement website www.DashboardGlareClassAction.com will present case updates that include what transpired during the final hearing.
Class counsel consists of Jordan L. Lurie and Tarek H. Zodhy of Capstone Law APC, Stephen M. Harris of The Law Offices of Stephen M. Harris PC, and Robert L. Starr from The Law Office Robert L. Starr. William F. Kiniry, Jr. representing DLA Piper LLP is the defense counsel.
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