Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Driven Sports’ Pre-Workout Supplement ‘Craze’ Includes Chemical Cousin to Methamphetamine; Parker Waichman LLP, Co-Counsel Firms Represent Plaintiffs
New York, New York (PRWEB) October 18, 2013 -- Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of consumers, working with Philadelphia-based Seeger Weiss LLP and Rochester, Mich.-based Oliver Law Group PC, on Oct. 17 filed with U.S. District Court, Northern California, a class action lawsuit against Driven Sports Inc. (Shantell Olvera et al v. Driven Sports Inc., Case No. 3:13-cv-04830). The lawsuit stems from allegations that the sports supplement maker promoted and sold a pre-workout powder called “Craze” that includes a chemical similar to the illicit street drug methamphetamine, or “meth.”
According to the Complaint, pre-workout supplements, which compose a highly competitive and profitable market, typically contain high levels of stimulants, which has prompted many manufacturers to continue increasing the level of stimulants in their products in order to remain competitive in this segment of the supplements market. Driven Sports allegedly has tried to best its competition by following a strategy that involves the “[spiking of its Craze product] with a methamphetamine analog that is not declared on the Product’s label… ” the Complaint alleges.
The Complaint also notes: “Plaintiff brings this action challenging Defendant’s mislabeling of the Product on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated, under California’s Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, and Consumer Legal Remedies Act. 12. Plaintiff seeks an order compelling Defendant to (1) cease marketing the Product using the misleading tactics complained of herein, (2) conduct a corrective advertising campaign, (3) restore the amounts by which Defendant has been unjustly enriched, and (4) destroy all misleading and deceptive materials.”
An article published on Oct. 14, 2013, in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Drug Testing and Analysis, a team of scientists from the U.S. and the Netherlands tested Craze and claim they found a chemical that's similar to methamphetamine. They warned that the chemical has never been studied in humans, that the health risks are unknown and that the presence of this chemical is not disclosed on Craze's label, according to the study.
The Complaint also quoted from The Drug Testing and Analysis article that: “Pharmaceuticals and banned substances have been detected in hundreds of purportedly natural supplements. Recently, several athletes have been disqualified from competition after testing positive for the methamphetamine analog N,α-diethylphenylethylamine (N,α-DEPEA).” The athletes claimed that they did not knowingly consume the banned substance included in their pre-workout supplement. Three samples from different Craze lot numbers were then analyzed to detect the presence and concentration of N,α-DEPEA. “Two labs independently identified N,α-DEPEA in the supplement using ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to an LTQ Orbitrap XL mass spectrometer and UHPLC-quadruple-time-of-flight mass (Q-TOF) spectrometer, respectively. The identity of N,α-DEPEA was confirmed using nuclear magnetic resonance and reference standards,” the Complaint also quoted from the article.
“The Defendant describes Craze as a dietary supplement that is legal and safe,” said Jordan L. Chaikin, Partner at Parker Waichman LLP. “But we are charging that this is not the case; we allege that the company knowingly spiked the supplement with a dangerous chemical described as a methamphetamine analog – and they never mention it on the product label.”
If you or someone you know has purchased the bodybuilding supplement Craze, you may have valuable legal rights. To discuss your case with one of our lawyers, please view our Craze Workout Supplement Class Action Lawsuit page or call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).
Contact:
Parker Waichman LLP
Gary P. Falkowitz, Managing Attorney
1+ (800) LAW-INFO
1+ (800) 529-4636
http://www.yourlawyer.com
Gary Falkowitz, Parker Waichman LLP, http://yourlawyer.com/, +1 (800) 529-4636, [email protected]
Share this article