Video Transcript: How Can I Fight Imcorrect Food Lables?
In addition to federal laws, such as the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, people who have been victims of food labeling schemes can usually recover under their state’s consumer protection laws. Those laws were designed to prevent unfair sales and advertising practices, and they typically allow consumers to recover the money they paid for the product, plus penalties, and reasonable attorney’s fees. For most people, bringing an individual lawsuit can be expensive, with the cost of litigation far outweighing the amount of damages they might recover. Because of the economics involved, many food labeling lawsuits are brought as class actions. In a class action, one consumer sues on behalf of everyone in the state who purchased the product, spreading the cost of pursuing a lawsuit over a group that might include hundreds or even thousands of people. Class actions work well for product labeling cases, and are an efficient way to obtain justice.