If you drank a can of Red Bull in the past 12 years you may be able to claim a $10 after a lawsuit challenged the energy drink’s claim to "give you wings.” The Austrian drinks giant agreed to a $13 million settlement with American consumers in a class action complaint that alleged the distinctive-tasting drink was no more effective than a cup of coffee despite advertisement that promised increased performance and concentration.
The settlement, yet to be approved by the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, offers any consumer who bought a Red Bull between Jan. 1, 2002, and Oct. 3, 2014, either $10 cash — or $15 worth of Red Bull products, according to law firm Morelli Alters Ratner. No proof of purchase is required for claims, which can be made through a web form published this week. It was not immediately clear how the total payout sum would be divided among the millions of annual consumers of the caffeinated drink. The law firm said complainant Benjamin Careathers alleged Red Bull was “misleading customers” by making claims about the “functional beverage” and its ability to “give you wings” despite reports concluding energy drinks had the same benefit as he the average dose of caffeine consumed in coffee. Red Bull did not respond to requests for comment by NBC News on Thursday but in previous statements said it had settled the lawsuit to “avoid the cost and distraction of litigation” and maintains that its marketing has “always been truthful and accurate.”
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