Jimenez v. Artsana USA, Inc.

Background

The court held a final hearing on April 8, 2025, to consider approval of the proposed class-action settlement between the plaintiffs and Artsana USA, Inc. The settlement concerns Artsana booster seats marketed under the KidFit brand, including the KidFit, KidFit Zip, KidFit Zip Air, KidFit Luxe, KidFit Plus, and KidFit Air Plus.

Settlement Class and Notice

For settlement purposes only, the court certified a class consisting of people and entities in the United States, its territories, or its possessions who purchased one or more eligible products during the period from April 22, 2015, through December 31, 2021. The class excludes Artsana-related employees and others, people or entities that bought the products primarily for resale, governmental entities, people and entities that timely excluded themselves, certain people who bought the products remotely while not residing in the United States, and the court, its immediate family, and court staff.

The court found that notice to settlement class members was the best notice practicable under the circumstances and complied with Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 and due process. It also found that the settlement administrator timely notified the appropriate government officials as required by the Class Action Fairness Act.

Approval of the Settlement

The court considered the factors relevant to approving a class settlement, including the settlement’s fairness, reasonableness, and adequacy; the complexity, expense, and likely duration of continued litigation; the class’s reaction; the stage of the case and discovery; the risks of establishing liability and damages; the risks of maintaining the class through trial; and the range of possible recoveries.

The court found that the settlement resulted from arm’s-length negotiations over several months and several mediation sessions, without fraud or collusion. It also found that the expense and likely duration of further litigation favored settlement, that the parties and class counsel supported the settlement, and that the settlement provided meaningful cash and injunctive relief within the range of possible recoveries.

The court therefore granted final approval of the settlement under Rule 23(e). The order states that the settlement and related proceedings are not evidence of, or an admission or concession of, liability or wrongdoing by Artsana or any other person or entity.

Fees and Incentive Awards

The court awarded class counsel $2,250,000 in attorneys’ fees, costs, and expenses, to be paid by Artsana under the settlement agreement. The court also approved incentive awards of $1,500 for each class representative to compensate them for their efforts and commitment on behalf of the settlement class.

Exclusions, Dismissal, and Continuing Jurisdiction

The order identifies Florence Doyle, Melissa Helen Maddy, and Noah Aron Maddy as people who timely and validly requested exclusion from the settlement class. They will not share in the settlement’s monetary benefits, and the order does not affect their legal rights to pursue claims they may have against Artsana.

As of the settlement’s effective date, the releasing parties will release the claims covered by the settlement against the released parties. The court ordered that the action, including all claims asserted in the actions, be settled and dismissed on the merits with prejudice. The court retained jurisdiction over the action and the parties to interpret, implement, and enforce the settlement, the prior class-certification order, and this order.