If you purchased either Regular or Diet A&W Root Beer or Regular or Diet A&W Cream Soda anywhere in New York State between February 7, 2016, and March 1, 2021, a class-action lawsuit may affect your legal rights.

CHANNASSE, Minn., January 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Analytics, the notification manager for the A&W Root Beer Aged Vanilla Class Action, announces the following:

If you bought either Regular or Diet A&W Root Beer or Regular or Diet A&W Cream Soda anywhere in The State of New York between February 7, 2016, and March 1, 2021, a class action may affect your statutory rights.

A court approved this decision. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer.

Your legal rights are affected whether you act or not. Read this notice carefully.

You may be subject to a class action lawsuit alleging that A&W Concentrate Company and Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. (the “Defendants”) misleadingly market regular and diet A&W Root Beer and Cream Soda (“Products”) with the Claim “Made from aged vanilla.” This claim is said to be misleading because the defendants used ethylvanillin — an artificial flavoring — to flavor the products with vanilla. The defendants deny these allegations, and the court has no liability in either lawsuit detected.

The lawsuit is called LaShawn Sharpe, et al. v. A&W Concentrate Company et al. Case #1:19-cv-00768-BMC. This lawsuit is pending The United States District Court for the Eastern District new York. The court has ruled that this lawsuit should proceed as a class action, meaning that two individuals (“named plaintiffs”) represent a “class” or groups of people, which may include you. This notice summarizes your legal rights and options if you believe you are a member of the class.

For more information, see a detailed notice on the website below. If you believe that you are a class member, you must decide whether to remain in the class and be bound by its findings, or to request disqualification and retain your right to sue the defendants for the alleged claims at issue in this case is going to sue yourself. There is no money available now and there is no guarantee that there will be any money in the future.

What is this case about?
Plaintiffs allege that A&W Root Beer and Cream Soda were misleadingly labeled “Made with Aged Vanilla” because the products contained artificial vanilla flavoring — specifically ethyl vanillin. Plaintiffs are generally seeking the court to award the group members statutory damages of $550 per purchase of A&W Root Beer or A&W Cream Soda. The defendants deny these allegations. The court has not yet made any decisions as to the merits of the plaintiffs’ claims against the defendants. Plaintiffs’ attorneys must prove the claims made in these cases.

Who is included?
You are a member of the class if you have purchased either A&W Root Beer (regular or diet) or A&W Cream Soda (regular or diet) in new York between February 7, 2016, and 1st March, 2021. Excluded from this class are (1) the judge assigned to this case; (2) defendant; (3) any company in which Defendant has a controlling interest; (4) officers, directors, legal representatives, successors and assigns of the defendant; and (5) persons who have purchased A&W Root Beer or A&W Cream Soda for resale purposes.

Who will represent the Plaintiffs and the Class Members?
The Court has appointed the following law firms to represent the classes: Reese LLP and Sheehan & Associates, PC You may appoint your own attorney to appear in court if you wish; However, in this case, you are responsible for paying that attorney on your behalf. LaShawn Sharpe and Jim Castoro are the named plaintiffs who were appointed by the court as class representatives.

What are your options?
If you believe you are a Class, you have a choice whether or not to remain in the Class, and you must make that choice now. If you stay in class, you are legally bound by all orders and judgments of the court and cannot sue or continue to sue the defendants in any other litigation involving the claims at issue in that litigation. If money or benefits are obtained on behalf of the Class, either through a settlement or a court proceeding, you will be notified of how to claim a share if you are a Class. You don’t have to do anything now to stay in class.

If you believe you are a class but ask to be removed from the class, you will not receive any money or benefit, if awarded, from this lawsuit, but you retain all rights to sue the defendants or to continue to sue sue as part of any other litigation involving the claims at issue in that litigation and shall not be bound by any order or judgment of the court. To exclude yourself from the class, you must send a letter to the address below, postmarked no later than March 22, 2022, where you indicate that you want to be excluded. Include (1) the name of the claim, (2) your name and address, (3) a clear statement of intention to self-exclude, and (4) your signature.

LaShawn Sharpe, et al. v. A&W Concentrate Company, PO Box 2004, Chanhassen, MN, 55317-2004.

Would you like more information?
If you have questions or would like a detailed notice or other documentation regarding these lawsuits and your rights, visit www.AWartificialvanillaclassaction.com or call us at 1-888-303-2773.

SOURCE Analytics