Vitol Inc. settles California AG litigation for $50,000,000

If you are a natural person residing in California who purchased gasoline in Southern California between February 20, 2015, and November 10, 2015, you may be eligible to claim a portion of a $50,000,000 class action settlement.

Vitol Inc., SK Energy Americas Inc., and SK Trading International Co. Ltd. have agreed to pay $50,000,000 to settle a class action lawsuit for alleged manipulation of the California gasoline market, which led to inflated gasoline prices for consumers.

Who can submit a claim?

Individuals eligible to submit a claim are natural persons residing in California who purchased gasoline in the ten counties comprising Southern California between February 20, 2015, and November 10, 2015.

These counties include:

• Los Angeles
• San Diego
• Orange
• Riverside
• San Bernardino
• Kern
• Ventura
• Santa Barbara
• San Luis Obispo
• Imperial

Eligible claimants must attest to their gasoline purchases during the specified period and their status as California residents.

How much can class members get?

The $37.5 million portion of the settlement allocated to the parens patriae Cartwright Act claim will be distributed to eligible consumers.

Each eligible claimant will receive a pro rata share of the net settlement fund, which will be calculated after deducting court-approved litigation expenses and settlement administration costs.

For example, if the net settlement fund is $28 million and there are 1 million valid claims, each claimant would receive $28. If there are 500,000 valid claims, each claimant would receive $56.

Hypothetical Calculation

If the net settlement fund is $28 million:

• With 1 million valid claims: $28 million / 1 million = $28 per claimant.
• With 500,000 valid claims: $28 million / 500,000 = $56 per claimant.

Is proof required to submit a claim?

No proof of purchase is required, but claimants must provide their driver's license state and number, and must certify under penalty of perjury that they purchased gasoline in Southern California during the specified period.

The settlement administrator will employ back-end techniques to detect potential fraud.

How to claim an award

Claim instructions have not been released as of the date of publishing.

For updates, monitor the official settlement website, https://www.calgaslitigation.com

Why is there a class action settlement?

The settlement resolves allegations that Vitol Inc., SK Energy Americas Inc., and SK Trading International Co. Ltd. manipulated the California gasoline market following a major refinery explosion in early 2015. The alleged manipulation led to inflated gasoline prices, causing harm to California consumers.