A judge upheld Apple’s settlement
Despite objections, a US judge has upheld a $50 million class-action lawsuit against Apple over faulty MacBook butterfly keyboards.
A court has tentatively approved a $50 million settlement in November 2022 that settles a class-action lawsuit against Apple over its butterfly keyboard. The class action, certified in 2021 and filed in 2018, concerns people who own MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models released in 2015 and 2016.
Now, Friday’s report Reuters: U.S. District Judge Edward Davila approved the settlement, calling it “fair, adequate and reasonable.”
Eleven consumers led the class action lawsuit from various US states, including New York, Florida, California and Michigan. They alleged that Apple did not provide sufficient repair or troubleshooting assistance for MacBook butterfly keyboards manufactured between 2015 and 2019.
Despite facing obstacles, the settlement faced opposition on concrete grounds. For example, one objection pointed out that the $125 award to a certain class group was inadequate, given that the cost of keyboard repairs often exceeds $300.
Other competitors argued that it was unfair to deny compensation to MacBook owners who had keyboard failures but did not get them repaired. In response, Dávila pointed out that while not everyone who was allegedly injured will receive compensation, the settlement compromise benefits many people.
Judge Davila further emphasized that the potential for a more favorable settlement or the possibility that the relief provided may not fully compensate class members are not sufficient grounds for denial.
Class members will receive between $50 and $395 as part of the settlement, depending on the number and nature of their keyboard repairs and how many requests for payment they receive. As of early March, more than 86,000 claims for class member payouts had been filed.
According to the court’s decision, the request of the lawyers of the plaintiffs for legal costs of 15 million dollars was also satisfied. In a statement, the two prominent lawyers representing the main plaintiffs, Girard Sharp and Chimickles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith, said they “look forward to getting the money to our clients.”