Explanation of Apple Watch Lawsuit Settlement: Who Receives Refunds and Why?
Back in 2019, Apple faced a class-action lawsuit due to swollen smartwatch batteries causing significant hardware issues like crashed screens. After a long legal battle, both the plaintiffs and Apple have come to a resolution, agreeing on a settlement valued at $20 million. This settlement aims to compensate individuals who suffered from the negative consequences of the malfunctioning batteries, offering payments ranging between $20 to $50 to eligible members of the affected class. Apple mentioned that all smartwatch models under scrutiny are currently off the market, refuting any hardware issues presented in the lawsuit.
Sources suggest that Apple had prior knowledge of the battery problems, indulging in free repairs for Apple Watch Series 2 units experiencing battery-related faults since 2018. The settlement specifically covers the Apple Watch Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3 models. Apple expressed its disagreement with the allegations surrounding these earlier smartwatch generations but decided to settle to avoid prolonged legal disputes as mentioned in a report by CNET. Those eligible for compensation as part of the class action won’t receive automatic payments unless they decide to forego their rights to sue Apple in the future over battery issues in Apple Watches.
The settlement offers a minimum payout of $20 to individuals whose issues were documented in Apple’s records as related to battery swelling in the Covered Watches, as highlighted in the legal suit. If you fall under this category, you won’t need to file a claim since payments will be automatically distributed through checks or direct deposits to your account. However, if you wish to participate in the class action settlement to receive the stipulated amount, you must submit a claim through the Watch Settlement dashboard or by mailing a completed form to the Settlement administrator before the deadline on April 10, 2025. The maximum payment for class members can reach $50 but will only happen if the Net Settlement Fund minus all Class Payments exceeds $50,00, as detailed in the court documents. In this scenario, each qualifying individual will receive up to $50 or less from the settlement fund.