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Lely settles for nearly $122 million in robotic case

The second of three class action lawsuits against dairy robotic manufacturers has been settled after three years of litigation.

The U.S. District Court of Minnesota approved a final settlement for Lely earlier this month to replace the milkers or provide payouts to farmers.  Attorneys representing the dairymen estimate the terms at more than $122 million.

Nearly 400 dairy farmers across the U.S. claimed Lely’s Astronaut A4 robotic milkers, sold between 2011 and 2018, did not operate as represented and suffered defects that adversely impacted cow health, milk production, and quality.

Last year, DeLaval settled a suit in a Missouri District Court for $55 million to dairy farmers with similar arguments about defective equipment.

DeLaval is still facing a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota claiming a newer model robotic milker is also defective.

Photo courtesy of Lely.