09/11/24 | First Amended Complaint Filed
Hagens Berman filed a 288-page amended complaint against Family Dollar and Dollar Tree defendants on Sept. 11, 2024, bolstering claims that the retailers unlawfully marketed, distributed and sold millions of dollars of adulterated over-the-counter drugs, medical devices and personal care products nationwide, despite allegedly having previous knowledge that these products were unsafe for human use or ingestion.
The amended complaint filed by Hagens Berman attorneys consolidates previous complaints from across the country and brings additional claims against more defendants under state-specific consumer protection laws. The expanded list of defendants includes Family Dollar Stores LLC, Dollar Tree, Inc., Dollar Tree Stores Inc., Family Dollar LLC, Family Dollar Services LLC, Family Dollar Stores Holdings LLC, Family Dollar Stores Holdings II LLC, and individual Family Dollar LLCs in the following states: Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas. The amended complaint is brought on behalf of 32 class representatives and 19 states.
Did you purchase over-the-counter drugs, medications or personal care products at Family Dollar from March 2022 to the present? You may have purchased products that are unsafe for human use and FDA-noncompliant. Fill out the form to find out your rights »
- Defendants
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- Dollar Tree, Inc.
- Dollar Tree Stores, Inc.
- Family Dollar Stores, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores Holdings, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores Holdings, II, LLC
- Family Dollar, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Alabama, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Colorado, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Florida, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Georgia, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Illinois, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Louisiana, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Michigan, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Mississippi, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Missouri, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Nevada, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of New Mexico, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of New York, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of North Carolina, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Oklahoma, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Ohio
- Family Dollar Stores of Pennsylvania, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Tennessee, LLC
- Family Dollar Stores of Texas, LLC.
WHAT’S THE ISSUE?
Hagens Berman is investigating Family Dollar Stores, Inc. and its state-based branches alleging it sold hundreds of millions of dollars of adulterated over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, medications, and/or personal care products to consumers on multiple occasions that were stored at improper temperatures and humidity. Attorneys say Family Dollar knew these products were unsafe for human use and could not legally be sold because they did not meet federal or state safety regulations, but Family Dollar continued to sell them anyway without disclosing this to consumers.
HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M AFFECTED?
Family Dollar Stores operates 8,200 Family Dollar retail stores across 48 states. If you purchased OTC drugs, medications and/or personal care products at a Family Dollar store from March 1, 2022 to the present, you may be affected. Impacted products include:
- Advil, Tylenol, Aleve, or Benadryl
- Antacid products
- Cold, allergy and pain relief products
- Deodorant
- Eye drops
- Hand sanitizer
- Laxatives
- Sleep aids
- Sunscreen
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Toothpaste and mouthwash
- and more
View the full list of Family Dollar products recalled by the FDA »
The FDA classifies these products as “drug and medical devices,” and they are subject to safety regulations that evidence will show Family Dollar violated.
FAMILY DOLLAR ADULTERATED OTC DRUGS, MEDICATIONS AND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS EXPLAINED
After a Feb. 2022 recall regarding a rat infestation in one of its facilities, the FDA notified Family Dollar that they were not properly storing OTC drugs, medicines, and personal care products within the required temperature and humidity ranges.
Despite the inspection report and resulting recall, Family Dollar has allegedly sold hundreds of adulterated and unsafe OTC drugs, medicines, and medical devices to unknowing customers. The law firms allege that Family Dollar did this in order to avoid the hundreds of millions in losses it would have suffered had it properly quarantined and destroyed the adulterated products. Instead, Family Dollar was able to turn a profit on the allegedly adulterated products at the expense of low-income consumers.
TOP CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW FIRM
Hagens Berman is one of the most successful plaintiffs’ litigation law firms in the U.S. taking on powerful corporations seeking to put profit before people. The firm has achieved settlements valued at more than $320 billion on behalf of consumers, including the largest recovery in litigation history — $260 billion — against Big Tobacco. Your claim will be handled by attorneys experienced at holding corporations accountable for endangering consumers through fraud and negligence.
NO COST TO YOU
In no case will any class member ever be asked to pay any out-of-pocket sum. In the event Hagens Berman or any other firm obtains a settlement that provides benefits to class members, the court will decide a reasonable fee to be awarded to the legal team for the class.
CASE TIMELINE
Hagens Berman has filed three complaints to date, each of which is targeted to the location of Family Dollar’s distribution centers. Based on the states serviced by the distribution centers, the complaint in Florida covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi. The complaint in New York covers Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The complaint in Utah covers Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Collectively, these complaints cover the vast majority of Family Dollar’s stores.
