Wesson Oil $8 Million Class Settlement Undone by Appeals Court

Summing up an $8 million Wesson Oil consumer deception deal as “How to Lose a Class Action Settlement in 10 Ways,” the Ninth Circuit threw out the settlement Tuesday.

The plaintiffs and Conagra Brands “crammed into their settlement agreement a bevy of questionable provisions that reeks of collusion at the expense of the class members,” Judge Kenneth K. Lee wrote for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Troublesome features include a disproportionate distribution of money between the attorneys and the class as well as injunctive relief that “appears worthless,” the court said.

Under revised standards for evaluating ...