Thanks to its plaintiff-friendly procedural rules and broad consumer protection laws, New Jersey is a hotbed of class action litigation. These four cases provide just a snapshot of the sort of cases coming to the New Jersey courts as class actions, highlighting the challenges judges face in overseeing this sort litigation.

 

NJ ‘Bridgegate’ Class Action Plaintiffs Seek Certification

Joshua Alston | Law360

The plaintiffs in a putative class action filed in the wake of New Jersey’s “Bridgegate” controversy asked a federal judge on Wednesday to certify a class of more than a million commuters and businesses that allegedly suffered because of the politically motivated lane closures.

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Drug Makers Challenge Antitrust Class Certification in First Circuit

Amaris Elliott-Engel | New Jersey Law Journal

Even as a trial over alleged antitrust activity over drug patents gears up for March, drug makers are hoping that the First Circuit will unwind a district judge’s decision to certify a class action of drug purchasers.

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JPML Consolidates PVC Deck Durability Suits In NJ

Joshua Alston | Law360

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on Tuesday agreed to consolidate at least two putative class actions against the makers of AZEK cellular PVC decking materials, choosing New Jersey as the venue for claims that consumers were misled about the product’s durability.

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Mars Subsidiary Sued Over Claims About Dog Food’s Bacterial Benefits

Charles Toutant | New Jersey Law Journal

Pet owners are suing Nutro, a subsidiary of Mars Inc., for allegedly inducing them to buy its dog food products with false statements about their promotion of growth of beneficial bacteria.

 

The putative class action suit, Monteleone v. The Nutro Co., in federal court in Newark, claims violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act and includes counts for equitable fraud and negligent misrepresentation.

 

It was brought on behalf of buyers of Nutro products from all states other than California, from December 2007 to April 2011, a period during which sales of Nutro dog food exceeded $10 million.

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