Joint Juice Maker Liable in False-Ad Case, Ninth Circuit Affirms

Joint Juice maker Premier Nutrition Corp. violated New York consumer protection laws by making deceptive statements about its product’s ability to relieve joint pain, but a new damages calculation is needed, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said.

A California federal district court awarded Mary Beth Montera, representing a class of New York consumers, $50 in statutory damages for each sale, totaling roughly $8.3 million. It also awarded nearly $4.6 million in prejudgment interest, bringing the final judgment to nearly $12.9 million. Both parties appealed.

Montera demonstrated that Premier Nutrition’s conduct was materially misleading, Judge Morgan Christen ...