The country’s biggest dental supply distributors reached an $80 million settlement agreement with dentists and dental laboratories in a proposed class action case. Distributors Henry Schein, Inc., Patterson Cos. Inc. and Benco Dental Supply Co. Inc. were accused of artificially inflating prices on dental supplies and equipment. Products at issue included supplies such as adhesives, implants, tooth brushes, pins and posts all the way to equipment such as imaging devices and dental chairs. Although there are hundreds of distributors and manufacturers of dental supplies and equipment, Defendants controlled approximately 80% of the market share.
Info tech, Inc was hired to calculate damages to plaintiffs due to the alleged conspiratorial conduct. In formalizing a damage analysis, Infotech Consulting scrutinized over 400 million transactions that occurred between January 2009 and March 2016. After a thorough econometric analysis, Dr. McClave opined that prices were in fact elevated during the conspiracy period. Minutes before a scheduled Daubert hearing, defendants agreed to a settlement figure bringing the case to closure.