If you purchased or leased a new vehicle between July 1998 and September 2016, you may be entitled to compensation of $25 or more. You have until October 30 to submit a claim to be eligible.
180 million dollars
In the past few years, approximately 45 class actions have been brought against auto parts manufacturing companies. Why? The companies allegedly conspired over the illegal price-fixing of certain auto parts. The vehicle brands and periods covered by the class actions vary from one case to the next.
Rather than hash it out in court, 67 of these companies decided to settle their cases since 2014. Across the various settlement agreements that were signed, the companies agreed to pay a total of around $180 million.
In June 2023, 23 of these class action settlements were approved for distribution in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. In other words, you may be entitled to a portion of this money if you meet the eligibility criteria.
The claim process has already begun, and you can file your claims online. You can expect to receive at least $25 per approved claim, not per vehicle.
If you file a claim for the distribution of these 23 class action settlements, you will receive updates on the cases that have not yet been distributed or settled. That way, you’ll have all the information you need to make future claims.
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To find out if you’re entitled to any money, you can make a claim online. You have until October 30, 2023 to submit your claims by filling in a short form with your contact information and information about each vehicle purchased or leased during the relevant period. Proof of purchase is generally not required. |
What’s a class action?
Class actions are traditionally used in consumer, competition, securities, professional negligence and environmental matters. A class action is a court case where an authorized person, the representative, asks the court for global compensation on behalf of many people who have suffered a similar loss or damage. These people, who have experienced similar circumstances to the representative, are called “members” of the class action.
Class actions involve rules for evidence and court procedures that are adapted in favour of class members. For example, class members can remain anonymous and do not have to prove their individual loss or damage, as long as there is enough evidence to prove that the whole group has suffered a common loss or damage. This legal procedure is therefore accessible and efficient.
Class actions are a means of access to justice for people who would not have the ability or the resources to defend their rights individually. It’s also a way to avoid going to court for people who might find it too difficult or stressful.
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Did you know? If a judgment orders the payment of a sum of money, before anything is distributed to the members, court costs, lawyers’ fees and other disbursements must be deducted. It could also happen that the cost of distributing the money is more than the amount each member is entitled to. In this case, a part of the money goes to the Fonds d’aide aux actions collectives (a government fund to help finance class actions). The other part might be given to one or more non-profit organizations. |