CREE Light Bulb Lawsuit
Audet & Partners, LLP is investigating claims by consumers that manufacturers of CREE light bulbs provided false and/or misleading information about the expected life span of the bulbs in advertising and on CREE light bulb packaging. Consumers are alleging that CREE overstated the life span of their LED bulbs relative to conventional, incandescent light bulbs. In so doing, the company may have exacted a higher purchase price from consumers who otherwise may well have opted for cheaper conventional bulbs.
LED bulb manufacturers have already been subject to regulatory scrutiny for their representations regarding advertised LED light bulb life performance. For example, in 2013 the Federal Trade Commission won a $21.2 million lawsuit against Lights of America, Inc., based on a theory of false advertising. In that lawsuit, the FTC challenged manufacturer claims made on packaging that the LED bulbs “replaced” incandescent bulbs of specific wattage. It was shown, however, the the LED bulbs were not as bright (i.e., produced fewer lumens) as the incandescent bulbs the manufacturer said they could “replace.”
Though in recent years manufacturers have refined their predictions about LED light bulb lifespan expectancy, and the cost of LED bulbs has fallen, consumers may now be finding that LED bulbs sold several years ago are burning out and failing well before the manufacturer had predicted on the LED bulb packaging or associated advertising.