A new class action lawsuit has been filed against a major paint manufacturer, accusing the company of deceptive marketing practices. The plaintiffs, Jamiene Andreozzi, Christopher Lemieux, Dylan Hyman, Alex Duleba, Daniel Ryan, and Ryan Delaval, filed the complaint on November 14, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Rust-Oleum Corporation. The lawsuit claims that Rust-Oleum misled consumers with false advertising about its "2x Coverage Paint Products," alleging that these products do not provide twice the coverage as advertised.
The plaintiffs argue that Rust-Oleum's marketing strategy is based on misleading claims about its spray paints providing "2x" or two times the coverage compared to other general-purpose paints. They assert that this claim is false and unsupported by Rust-Oleum's own data. According to the complaint, instead of delivering twice the coverage as promised, the products fall short of their express representations. This has allegedly resulted in consumers paying a premium price for a product that does not perform as advertised. The plaintiffs further allege that Rust-Oleum was aware of these discrepancies but continued to market its products deceptively.
The lawsuit highlights previous warnings from the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) in 2017 regarding misleading labels on Rust-Oleum's "2x" coverage paint products. Despite these warnings and subsequent legal actions from consumers, Rust-Oleum reportedly failed to amend its labeling practices adequately. The plaintiffs accuse Rust-Oleum of violating several consumer protection laws across different states including California’s Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law, New York General Business Law sections 349 and 350, and Illinois Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.
In seeking justice through this civil action, the plaintiffs are requesting monetary damages, restitution for all affected consumers, equitable relief to prevent future deception by Rust-Oleum, and declaratory and injunctive relief on behalf of proposed classes nationwide. They aim to hold Rust-Oleum accountable for what they describe as ongoing deceptive business practices.
Representing the plaintiffs are attorneys from various law firms specializing in consumer rights litigation. The case is being overseen by judges from the Northern District of Illinois under Case ID: 1:24-cv-11710.