Federal Court Approves Settlement In Trane And American Standard Air Conditioner Class Action

On August 12, 2020, the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey granted final approval to a nationwide class action settlement on behalf of current and former owners of nearly 500,000 Trane and American Standard air conditioners allegedly manufactured with an unapproved rust inhibitor in the compressor that caused many units to fail.  The plaintiffs in the class action suit were represented by Timothy N. Mathews and Zachary P. Beatty of Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith, LLP, and James C. Shah of Shepherd Finkelman Miller & Shah, LLP.

The lawsuit alleges that the unapproved rust inhibitor forms a sticky debris on the thermostatic expansion valve (“TXV”) causing widespread failures and performance loss.  Most of the air conditioners were manufactured in 2014, but some were manufactured as late as 2017.  The settlement creates broad-ranging relief for eligible settlement class members, including: (1) cash reimbursements for out-of-pocket repair expenses up to $825; (2) a free additive that has been shown to prevent future deposits and a labor credit to inject it; and (3) an extended and enhanced warranty available for certain units.

The deadline for affected consumers to file a claim for reimbursement or the extended and enhanced warranty is September 25, 2020.   Class members can obtain the free preventative additive by contacting their local Trane or American Standard service provider.  To ascertain whether or not your air conditioner is included in the class and to obtain instructions on filing a claim, visit www.airconditionersettlement.com.

The legal team at Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith, LLP has been described as “among the most capable and experienced lawyers in the country” in consumer class action litigation. For more information, call us at 866-399-2487 or contact us online at www.Chimicles.com.