As part of our ongoing series covering class actions in which the only real beneficiaries are the plaintiffs’ lawyers, here is the Missouri Court of Appeals’ decision in Berry v. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (pdf), No. WD73974 (Mo. Ct. App. June 12, 2012).

The plaintiff alleged a defect in the window regulator of certain vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen.  Under the settlement, the Missouri class members were eligible for payments of $75, plus repairs of the alleged defect (or reimbursement for past repairs).  But only 177 members of the 22,304-member class—0.79 percent!—actually submitted claims.  Thus, the total amount of…
Continue Reading Berry: Another Class Settlement Benefiting Class Counsel But Not Class Members Approved