Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-azd-2_09-md-02096/USCOURTS-azd-2_09-md-02096-38/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 365
Nature of Suit: Personal Injury - Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Fraud

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE DISTRICT OF ARIZONA

IN RE: Zicam Cold Remedy Marketing,

Sales Practices, and Products Liability

Litigation.

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THIS DOCUMENT RELATES TO:

All Economic Injury Actions.

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No. 09-md-2096-PHX-FJM

ORDER

The court has before it plaintiffs’ “Proposed Order Certifying Settlement Class and

Preliminarily Approving Settlement” (doc. 1369-1) and “Proposed Judgment, Final Order

and Decree” (doc. 1369-2). We also have the parties’ “Amended Economic Injury and Class

Settlement Agreement and Release” (doc. 1358-1). 

Plaintiffs seek our preliminary certification of the following class: “All persons in the

United States who purchased Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Spray, Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs,

and/or Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs (kids size) for personal, family or household use between

January 1, 1999 and October 19, 2010. Excluded from the class are all persons who suffered

bodily injury arising from the use of these products.” Proposed Order Certifying Settlement

Class at 2; see also Proposed Judgment, Final Order and Decree at 2. However, in the

proposed Settlement Agreement and Release, the class is defined slightly differently:

Case 2:09-md-02096-FJM Document 1370 Filed 03/03/11 Page 1 of 3
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“‘Zicam Cold Remedy Intra-Nasal Safety Settlement Class’ means all persons in the United

States who purchased Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Spray, Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, or

Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs (kid size), for personal, family or household use between

January 1, 1999 through the Execution Date and claim that the products were not safe.

Excluded from the Settlement Class are all persons who suffered bodily injuries arising from

the use of these products.” Amended Economic Injury and Class Settlement Agreement and

Release, § 1.11 (emphasis added). It is therefore unclear whether the proposed class includes

all purchasers of the products (except those who allege bodily injury), or all purchasers who

claim the products were not safe (except those who allege bodily injury). 

In addition, plaintiffs propose to release “any and all claims . . . asserted or that could

have been asserted in the Included Actions,” excluding claims for bodily injury or claims that

the products were not effective or that defendants lacked adequate scientific proof of their

efficacy. Proposed Judgment, Final Order and Decree at 5–6. In the proposed Settlement

Agreement and Release, the parties define “released claims” as “all claims” that any member

of the settlement class asserted or could have asserted “based upon, arising out of, or relating

to, the safety of Zicam Cold Remedy Intra-Nasal Products,” excluding bodily injury and

efficacy claims. Amended Economic Injury and Class Settlement Agreement and Release,

§ 1.14 (emphasis added). But also in the proposed Settlement Agreement and Release,

plaintiffs agree to release “any and all claims” that were “asserted or could have been

asserted in the Included Actions,” excluding bodily injury and efficacy claims, but without

the “safety-related” limitation. Id. at § 3.1.

Therefore, we note some divergence in the definitions of both the proposed class and

the released claims. The parties have not explained what, if any, significance there is in these

variations. While we do not wish to make a mountain out of a molehill, we do wish to fully

understand the settlement.

Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the parties shall submit a joint supplemental

memorandum addressing these apparent inconsistencies. The memorandum must be filed

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by lead counsel, may not exceed five pages, and filed within ten days of the docketing of this

order. 

DATED this 3rd day of March, 2011.

Case 2:09-md-02096-FJM Document 1370 Filed 03/03/11 Page 3 of 3