With the winter season coming to a close, it is more than likely that you might have caught a cold or the flu on a walk out during an especially icy day — as is the case yearly. As such, if you have purchased any Zicam branded cold and flu medication, you may be eligible to claim from the settlement being paid out by the pharmaceutical company after a class action lawsuit was taken out against them.
Zicam class action lawsuit details
If you purchased any cold or flu relieving products from the Zicam brand before October of 2024, you can consider yourself a member of the ongoing class action lawsuit against the company.
Plaintiffs filed a class action lawsuit against Zicam’s manufacturer, Church & Dwight Co. in 2022 in California. The pharmaceutical company and its manufacturer are facing allegations of their products not being effective. Zicam offers a range of products meant to speed up or aid the recovery process of a cold or flu, however, plaintiffs are arguing that none of the products listed in the lawsuit are effective in “shortening or reducing the severity of illness,” as per the claims made in advertisements for the products.
Multiple types of fruit drops, Oral Mist, and a variety of RapidMelts are all amongst the products included in this class action suit.
The lawsuit alleges that Zicam had put out misleading advertising for its products and as such, the pharmaceutical company — along with its manufacturer Church & Dwight Co. — have come to an agreement regarding the settlement payout for class members.
Both the company and its manufacturer are denying any wrongdoing in this case and they have reiterated that the manufacturer “has reliable scientific support for its advertising claims, including but not limited to clinical proof that the Zicam products are statistically significantly better than a placebo at shortening the duration of the common cold and at reducing the severity of common cold symptoms,” according to the settlement website.
Despite this, the accused have come to an agreement with plaintiffs to make a settlement payout amounting to $6 million, according to the settlement website.
Class Action Eligibility
If you purchased any of the listed Zicam products before October 17, 2024, you are eligible to claim a share from the settlement amount. Class members can claim $5 per product purchased for a maximum of six Zicam branded products. The maximum payout any claimant may receive is $30.
To be eligible for the maximum payout, class members must provide a proof of purchase. Class members who do not have any documented proof of purchase may still submit a claim. Without proof of purchase, claimants will receive $2.50 per product purchase. A maximum payout for two products totaling to $5 will be allotted without proof of purchase.
In order to submit a claim, class members will need to provide their name, address, and contact information. Additionally, claimants will need to share details about the Zicam products they had purchased. Documentation proving the purchase of Zicam products must include “the purchase price paid, date of purchase, and location of purchase.” The form to file a claim can be found on the settlement website.
The final deadline to submit a claim form is February 21, 2025 which is tomorrow so claimants should act fast.
The final hearing for the class action lawsuit against Zicam and Church & Dwight Co. is February 28, 2025.
Importance of class action
Class action lawsuits of this nature are incredibly important and highlight the need for strictly monitored procedures at a manufacturing and developmental level. Health is no laughing matter, and taking the wrong type of medication as a result of false advertising when your immune system is already compromised because of a flu, can lead to deadly consequences. Class members were lucky in this aspect since the products listed in the lawsuit were only ineffective rather than being dangerous. As such this should serve as a reminder for all pharmaceutical companies to better their practices.