APPELLATE DIVISION UPHOLDS MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR JUDGMENT IN MMA FIGHTER’S SHED RX CONTAMINATION CASE.
Cockerill, Craig & Moore, LLC partner Jeffrey S. Craig worked with Howard Jacobs to vindicate and obtain compensation for Yoel Romero whose rise in MMA rankings was detoured by contamination of a Gold Star supplement he took, after diligent inquiries and in reliance of Gold Star’s representations, as part of his training regimen. Gold Star’s SHED RX product was contaminated with a banned substance causing Romero to fail a screening. Finding that Gold Star violated New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act, a trial court awarded a multi-million dollar judgment. The Appellate Division reviewed the judgment and upheld the trial court on one category of trebled damages, modified one aspect of the judgment, and remanded a third category of damages for further consideration. The modified award now totals $12,450,000 with the potential for that to be increased to compensate Romero for harm to his reputation. Yoel Romero v. Gold Star Distribution, LLC d/b/a Gold Star Performance Products, A-0379-20 New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division decided June 24, 2020.