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Last Updated April 13, 2012
If you purchased polyether polyols, MDI, TDI, MDI-TDI
blends, or polyether polyol systems between 1999 and 2004, class action
settlements with BASF Corporation, Huntsman International LLC and Lyondell
Chemical Company may affect your rights.
For more detailed information, please review the Notice and other court
documents at the links on the right.
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IMPORTANT DATES & DEADLINES
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| Request an Exclusion: |
Deadline Has Passed |
| Object to existing settlements: |
Deadlines Have Passed |
| File a Claim in BASF and Huntsman settlements: |
May 28, 2012
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What's This About?
The settlements arise from a class action lawsuit filed against
major manufacturers of Polyether Polyol Products (as defined below - see "Who
is Part of the Class?"). The plaintiffs -- Seegott Holdings, Inc.; Industrial
Polymers, Inc.; and Quabaug Corporation -- allege that the defendant
manufacturers unlawfully agreed to fix, raise, maintain, or stabilize the
prices of, and allocate the customers and markets for, Polyether Polyol
Products sold in the United States and its territories during the period
January 1, 1999 through December 31, 2004, in violation of the federal
antitrust laws.
The defendant-manufacturers are: Bayer AG, Bayer MaterialScience LLC (f/k/a
Bayer Polymers LLC), and Bayer Corporation (collectively, "Bayer"); BASF SE
(f/k/a BASF AG) and BASF Corporation (collectively, "BASF"); The Dow Chemical
Company ("Dow"); Huntsman International LLC ("Huntsman"); and Lyondell Chemical
Company ("Lyondell").
Bayer agreed to settle the lawsuit in 2006, but denies any
wrongdoing. On August 30, 2006, the United States District Court for the
District of Kansas ("District Court") granted final approval to the Bayer
settlement. In January and September 2011, the settlement administrator
distributed payments to members of the Class who submitted qualified claims.
In spring 2011, Huntsman and Lyondell agreed to settle as well; both deny any
wrongdoing. On September 27, 2011, the District Court granted final approval to
(i) a Settlement Agreement between Huntsman and Plaintiffs dated May 27, 2011,
and (ii) a Settlement Agreement between Lyondell and Plaintiffs dated March 1,
2011. The Huntsman and Lyondell Settlement Agreements and the District Court's
September 27, 2011 orders are available at the links on the right.
In the fall of 2011, BASF agreed to settle, and it, too, denied any wrongdoing.
The District Court gave final approval to the BASF settlement on December 12,
2011. The Court's order and the BASF settlement agreement are available at the
links on the right.
On December 12, 2011, the District Court also approved the Plan of Allocation
for the Huntsman and BASF settlement funds and class counsel's request for
payment of attorneys' fees and reimbursement of litigation expenses. These
orders are available at the links on the right.
The class action lawsuit will continue against Dow, which has not settled with
the plaintiffs.
Who is Part of the Class?
On July 29, 2008, the District Court issued an order (available for download or
viewing on the right side of this page) certifying this lawsuit as a class
action for the following Class: All persons and entities who purchased
Polyether Polyol Products (defined below) directly from a defendant at any time
from January 1, 1999 through December 31, 2004 in the United States and its
territories (excluding all governmental entities, any defendants, their
employees, and their respective parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates).
Polyether Polyol Products are: propylene oxide-based polyether polyols;
monomeric or polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanates (MMDI or PMDI -
collectively, MDI); toluene diisocyanates ("TDI"); MDI-TDI blends; or propylene
oxide-based polyether polyol systems (except those that also contain polyester
polyols). The District Court set a deadline of December 24, 2008 for Class
Members to exclude themselves from the class action. If you did not previously
exclude yourself, you are a member of the Class.
How Do I Submit A Claim?
Claim Forms were mailed on April, 13, 2012. You must submit your Claim
postmarked on or before May 28, 2012. If you did not receive a Claim Form,
and would like to file a Claim, please contact the Settlement Administrator
using the contact information at the bottom of this page. If you received a
Claim Form with pre-printed purchase data and agree with the purchase
amounts, you only need to sign and return the Claim Form by the deadline.
You do not need to attach any supporting documents. However, if you
disagree with the pre-printed purchase amounts or received a Claim Form
that did not include pre-printed purchase amounts, you must submit proof of
the purchases you claim. When doing so, be sure to include copies of all
documents that substantiate your purchases of Polyether Polyol Products
from the Defendants during the Class Period, even if you have already
submitted such records to the Settlement Administrator in connection with
the distribution of the Bayer Settlement Fund. You can access a
text-searchable list of eligible products at the top right of this page,
below the claim form.
How Can I Get More Information?
The documents at the links on the right contain much important information and
should answer most questions. If you have additional questions, you can contact
the attorneys or settlement administrator listed below. Please do not direct
inquiries to Huntsman, Lyondell, BASF, the Court, or the Clerk's office.
| Cohen Milstein
Sellers & Toll PLLC |
Richard A. Koffman, Esq.
Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC
West Tower, Suite 500
1100 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20005-3964
(202) 408-4600
rkoffman@cohenmilstein.com |
| Fine, Kaplan and
Black, R.P.C. |
Gerard A. Dever, Esq.
Fine, Kaplan and Black, R.P.C.
1835 Market Street
Suite 2800
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 567-6565
gdever@finekaplan.com
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| Settlement
Administrator |
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Urethane Antitrust Litigation
Polyether Polyol Cases
c/o Complete Claim Solutions, Inc.
P.O. Box 2711
Faribault, MN 55021
UrethaneInfo@CompleteClaimSolutions.com
If you would like to speak with the Administrator's Office, please call
toll-free: 877-741-1226
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