Did you purchase Paula’s Choice products since Dec. 22, 2009? You may be entitled to compensation. Fill out the form to find out your rights »
WHAT'S THE ISSUE?
Hagens Berman attorneys have filed a nationwide class-action complaint against Paula’s Choice LLC, alleging the skin care company has submitted its products to animal testing since 2009, when it began selling them in mainland China. According to the lawsuit, Paula’s choice has built a brand reputation on its staunch commitment to “cruelty free” beauty and never testing on animals, and consumers would not have purchased Paula’s Choice products had they known the truth.
ABOUT PAULA’S CHOICE PRODUCTS
According to the lawsuit, since 1995, Paula’s Choice has distinguished itself from industry competitors by taking a bold and unambiguous anti–animal testing stance. The labels of its skin care products read “Never Animal Tested” and carry the Leaping Bunny cruelty free certification label. Attorneys say that thanks to decades of deliberate marketing efforts, many consumers buy Paula’s Choice products because they are ostensibly cruelty free.
The lawsuit alleges that, starting in December 2009, Paula’s Choice began selling its skin care products in mainland China, where animal testing is required, in most cases, for all beauty products manufactured outside of the country.
ABOUT PAULA’S CHOICE ANIMAL TESTING ALLEGATIONS
In 2012, PETA exposed several cosmetics companies that claimed to be cruelty free for allowing animal testing on their products sold in China. According to the lawsuit, Paula’s Choice shut down its Chinese website and redirected consumers to its Hong Kong website to make it appear it was no longer selling products in mainland China. But it allegedly continued to sell products in China, where animal testing is required.
WHAT ANIMAL TESTING LOOKS LIKE
There are several tests commonly conducted on animals by laboratories to determine whether a product or chemical is safe for human use. These include:
- Lethal Dose 50 (LD50), a type of acute toxicity test where animals are dosed with a test chemical to determine the dose at which half of the test animals die.
- The up-and-down procedure and acute toxic class methods. While these tests do not result in the death of the animal, the animals will often endure intense pain, convulsions, loss of motor function, and seizures.
- The Guinea Pig Maximization Test, where a chemical is injected into the guinea pig, along with a chemical adjuvant to boost the immune reaction. Multiple doses are given until the animal develops an allergic reaction.
- The Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA), where test chemicals are applied to the surface of the ears of mice. The mice are then killed and their lymph node cells are removed and analyzed.
HOW CAN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT HELP?
Through a class-action lawsuit, individual private citizens can collectively bring claims against powerful corporations which would otherwise have the upper hand, like Paula’s Choice. A class-action lawsuit seeks to level the playing field, bringing strength to collective action to change corrupt practices and negligent responses to citizens. Though these measures do not bring immediate relief, they are a time-tested method of holding companies accountable for wrongdoing.
TOP CONSUMERS’ RIGHTS LAW FIRM
Hagens Berman is home to some of the most well-respected and successful lawyers representing plaintiffs in class actions, and the firm has achieved settlements valued at $320 billion since its founding. The firm has taken on major corporations for false advertising and fraud claims, and your claim will be handled by attorneys experienced in consumer protection law.
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.
