Bucked Up Lawsuit: Protein Drinks Allegedly Short on Protein
Active Litigation
The Bucked Up lawsuit in the news since mid-October 2026 is a proposed class action over the brand’s Lightly Carbonated Protein drinks. It alleges the cans hold less than the 25 grams of protein on the label. It was filed in California federal court on June 1, 2026, covers California buyers only, and as of October 2026 has no settlement, no fund and no claim form. Separate lead complaints about Bucked Up powders were handled under California’s Proposition 65 and paid nothing to customers.
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What the Protein Lawsuit Claims
The plaintiff says he bought the rainbow candy flavor of the Bucked Up protein drink in January 2026 at a Vitamin Shoppe in Thousand Oaks, California. The front label and the Nutrition Facts panel both said 25 grams of protein per drink.
According to the complaint, independent third-party lab testing found the drinks contain 6% to 18% less protein than advertised. The lawsuit alleges buyers would not have purchased the drinks had they known, and pleads breach of express warranty, unjust enrichment, and violations of California’s Consumers Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Competition Law and False Advertising Law. These are allegations; no court has tested them.
Context worth knowing: the same plaintiff and the same lawyer, Charles C. Weller, filed similar protein suits against Raw Nutrition and Ryse Up Sports Nutrition in 2026. A trade publication that reviewed these filings (a sponsored post on PricePlow) reports the Bucked Up samples were lab-tested on December 16, 2025 — before the alleged January 8, 2026 purchase — and that no court in that wave of cases has ruled on the merits whether a product actually held less protein than labeled.
Case details
The Bucked Up class action lawsuit is Ruchman v. DAS Labs LLC d/b/a Bucked Up, No. 2:26-cv-05871, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, filed June 1, 2026. DAS Labs LLC is the company that sells the Bucked Up brand. The federal docket index lists the case under diversity jurisdiction with no termination date.
Other Bucked Up matters, for orientation: a 2017 trademark suit that DAS Labs itself brought in Utah (DAS Labs v. Buckedup Apparel, No. 2:17-cv-00646, dismissed by stipulation in 2018), and an individual federal suit in New York (Walters v. DAS Labs, LLC, No. 6:23-cv-00968, closed January 18, 2024).
Status: New Class Action, No Settlement
The lead matters are a different track. Those were Proposition 65 warning cases brought by advocacy groups, not class actions, and the ones that settled sent money to penalties and attorney fees.
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Who Is in the Proposed Class
The complaint proposes a California class of consumers who bought Bucked Up Lightly Carbonated Protein drinks within the past four years. If you bought them outside California, this suit as filed does not cover you. If you only bought Bucked Up pre-workout powder, it does not cover you either.
You do not need to sign up for anything. If a class is certified or a settlement is reached, a court-approved administrator publishes notice and explains how to claim. Keeping receipts or online order history for the protein drinks is the useful step now.
Is There a Bucked Up Lawsuit Payout?
The lead settlements did not pay customers either. In the 2025 Proposition 65 settlement over Bucked Up Zero Calorie Bulker Nectar, the $75,000 total was a $35,000 civil penalty plus $40,000 in attorney fees and costs. The 2020 settlement with the Environmental Research Center set a $100,000 civil penalty and $27,529 in fees and costs, plus warning rules.
How cases like this one end
Our copy of the federal courts’ own case database covers 5,434 federal civil cases of this typeclosed in U.S. federal district courts between 2015 and 2026, 20.8% of them filed as class actions:
- 36.8% ended in a settlement recorded by the court. Another 14.5% were dismissed voluntarily, which often follows a private settlement — so the real settlement share sits between 36.8% and 51.3%.
- 4.5% were decided on a motion before any trial.
- 1 in 236 reached a trial (0.4%), after a median of 26.2 months.
- Median time from filing to the end of the case: 9.3 months.
- Only 100 of them (1.8%) record a money award at all; the median of those is $517,500.
These are base rates for this type of case (federal contract product liability cases) — not a prediction about this lawsuit, and not legal advice. Source: Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (civil), analysed by Settlement Insight. Cases heard in state courts are not included.
Bucked Up Lawsuit Timeline
February 5, 2020 — Lead Settlement With Environmental Research Center
DAS Labs settles an Environmental Research Center Proposition 65 case over lead in supplements (Alameda County No. RG19043611). Products above 0.5 micrograms of lead per day need a warning in California.
July 2025 — Bulker Nectar Lead Settlement
WHEN Justice settles its lead claim over Bucked Up Zero Calorie Bulker Nectar out of court: discontinuation or warnings, $75,000 in total payments.
January 8, 2026 — The Alleged Purchase
The plaintiff says he bought a Bucked Up protein drink labeled 25 grams of protein at a Vitamin Shoppe in Thousand Oaks.
June 1, 2026 — Protein Class Action Filed
Ruchman v. DAS Labs LLC, No. 2:26-cv-05871, is filed in the Central District of California, alleging 6% to 18% less protein than labeled.
August 10, 2026 — New Lead Notice on Pre-Workout
CalSafe Research Center serves a Proposition 65 notice alleging lead without a warning in Bucked Up Mother Bucker Pre-Workout, Miami flavor.
October 2026 — Pending, No Settlement
The protein suit reaches the news on October 16, 2026. As of this month it is pending, with no class certified and nothing to claim.
Court Document
Read the filing yourself. We host a copy of the public court record, free to read and share.
Case: DAS Labs v. Buckedup Apparel, No. 2:17-cv-00646 (D. Utah)
Full docket on CourtListenerAll court documents in our libraryA complaint states one side's allegations; only the court's orders decide anything. Copies of federal court records (PACER) via CourtListener, Free Law Project. Not legal advice.
Three Things to Watch For
A fresh headline with no claim form attracts these:
“Claim your Bucked Up refund” pages
There is no Bucked Up settlement and no claims site. A page asking for your card number or a “processing fee” to reserve a refund is not connected to the court case.
Lead-poisoning “settlement” calls
The lead matters were Proposition 65 warning cases that paid penalties and lawyers, not customers. Anyone saying you are owed lead money from Bucked Up is selling something.
Ads that blur pre-workout and protein drinks
The class action covers only the Lightly Carbonated Protein drinks bought in California. Ads promising compensation for any Bucked Up pre-workout purchase misstate the case to collect your details.
Bucked Up Lawsuit — Questions People Actually Ask
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this case.
What is the Bucked Up lawsuit about?
A proposed class action filed June 1, 2026 alleges that Bucked Up Lightly Carbonated Protein drinks contain less than the 25 grams of protein printed on the label — 6% to 18% less, according to lab testing cited in the complaint. The case is Ruchman v. DAS Labs LLC, No. 2:26-cv-05871, in the Central District of California.
Is there a Bucked Up lawsuit payout?
Not as of October 2026. There is no settlement, no fund and no claim form. If that changes, a court-approved administrator will publish the claim process and deadline.
How much money can you get from the Bucked Up class action?
Nothing today, and no court has put a value on the claim. Food-label settlements, when they happen, tend to pay small per-product amounts. Treat any specific dollar figure you see for this case as unfounded.
What is the Bucked Up lead lawsuit?
Several advocacy groups have used California’s Proposition 65 to say Bucked Up products contained lead without a warning. The Environmental Research Center settled in 2020; WHEN Justice settled over Bulker Nectar in 2025 for $75,000 in penalty and fees; CalSafe Research Center served a new notice on August 10, 2026 over Mother Bucker Pre-Workout. These are warning cases, not class actions, and they do not pay consumers.
Is there a Bucked Up pre workout lawsuit?
Only in the Proposition 65 sense. The August 10, 2026 notice targets Mother Bucker Pre-Workout over lead and says the group may sue 60 days after service. There is no class action over pre-workout powder, and the protein class action does not cover it.
Was there a Bucked Up lawsuit in 2022?
We found none. A federal docket search for DAS Labs shows a 2017 trademark suit, a 2023 New York case closed January 18, 2024, and the 2026 protein case; the California Attorney General’s records show the lead matters from 2019 to 2026.
Do I need to do anything to be included?
No. If you bought the protein drinks in California in the past four years, you would fall within the proposed class if it is certified. There is nothing to register for now. Keep proof of purchase if you have it.
Are Bucked Up protein drinks unsafe?
The protein lawsuit is about labeling accuracy and money, not safety: it alleges you got less protein than you paid for. The lead notices are a separate question about warnings, and they concern powders such as Bulker Nectar and Mother Bucker Pre-Workout, not the protein drinks.
About This Information
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated - $236 billion in real payouts analyzed · See what we found
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Lawsuit status, eligibility, and compensation can change. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and does not represent any party. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
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