A federal judge has granted final approval for a settlement in a class-action lawsuit involving FieldTurf USA. The company was accused of selling defective synthetic turf fields to various plaintiffs in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and California.
U.S. District Judge Michael Shipp approved the nationwide settlement, which includes plaintiffs such as Carteret, the Newark Board of Education, and Hudson County. The settlement value exceeds USD 50 million in cash and credits for over 1,200 class-action members, according to Law.com. Sportsfields.info earlier wrote this article about the case.
Under the terms of the settlement, plaintiffs can choose between USD 7,500 in cash compensation or USD 50,000 in credits toward new turf installation by FieldTurf. Additionally, the court approved over USD 6 million in attorney fees and more than USD 1 million in related costs.
“As of the close of the claims process, the claims administrator had received a very limited number of claims, only a portion of which were found to be valid,” said Reid Skibell of Glenn Agre, counsel to FieldTurf. He added that this outcome aligns with FieldTurf’s position in the case, emphasizing customer satisfaction with approximately 1,300 Duraspine fields nationwide. While the settlement amount could theoretically reach USD 50 million if all eligible field owners submitted valid claims, only 31 claims were approved, amounting to less than USD 1 million in payouts. Most settlements are being utilized as credits.
Fast deterioration
Carteret, a lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, purchased six FieldTurf fields between 2006 and 2010 for over USD 2 million. The litigation followed an NJ Advance Media investigation revealing that FieldTurf’s Duraspine product deteriorated much faster than promised, leaving athletes at increased risk of injury. Despite knowing about issues with the Duraspine fiber as early as 2009, FieldTurf continued selling it until discontinuing the product in 2012. Records show FieldTurf sold 1,428 Duraspine fields across the U.S., including 164 fields in New Jersey. It is believed that this generated the company approximately USD 570 million in revenue.
Carteret officials first reported premature wear to FieldTurf in April 2013, but the company delayed addressing the warranty claims. Despite multiple follow-ups between 2015 and 2016, FieldTurf’s response required Carteret to cover significant repair and replacement costs, prompting the borough to join the lawsuit. Mayor Daniel Reiman previously stated, “FieldTurf USA appears to have known that its artificial turf was defective but sold it to us and the other plaintiffs anyway.” FieldTurf has denied these allegations, asserting that it has honored its warranties and treated customers fairly.
The case was part of broader litigation prompted by NJ Advance Media’s investigation, “The 100-Yard Deception,” which revealed widespread issues with Duraspine fields. Nineteen lawsuits were filed in New Jersey federal court, with most consolidated into this class action. Other plaintiffs included the Levittown Union Free School District in New York, the Neshannock Township School District in Pennsylvania, and the City of Fremont and Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District in California.
Putting the customer first
The Moskowitz Law Firm, which served as co-lead counsel for the litigation, praised FieldTurf for resolving the matter and prioritizing customer satisfaction. “The settlement happened because FieldTurf decided to ‘put their customers first’ and because class members continue to have great confidence in FieldTurf’s products,” said Adam Moskowitz, managing partner of the firm. He also commended Judge Shipp for his commitment to overseeing the complex litigation.