Simply Orange Lawsuit: Case Dismissed — No Settlement Exists
In December 2022, a consumer named Joseph Lurenz sued The Coca-Cola Company and The Simply Orange Juice Company in federal court, alleging that Simply Tropical juice — marketed as "All Natural" — contained PFOA and PFOS ("forever chemicals") at levels he claimed far exceeded EPA drinking-water guidance. After nearly three years of litigation and two amended complaints, a federal judge dismissed the case with prejudice in September 2025. There is no settlement, no compensation fund, and no way to file a claim.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Lawsuit Alleged
Plaintiff Joseph Lurenz claimed Coca-Cola and its subsidiary, The Simply Orange Juice Company, deceptively marketed Simply-brand juice — specifically Simply Tropical — as "All Natural" and healthy while it allegedly contained PFOA and PFOS, synthetic "forever chemicals" linked to cancer and other health risks. The complaint cited independent laboratory testing that it said found these compounds at levels more than 100 times the EPA's recommended limits for drinking water. Based on those allegations, Lurenz brought claims of fraud, constructive fraud, and unjust enrichment on behalf of a proposed nationwide class. Coca-Cola denied the allegations throughout the litigation, and the underlying testing claims were never tested on the merits — the case was dismissed on pleading grounds before it got that far.
Case Details
Lurenz v. The Coca-Cola Company and The Simply Orange Juice Company, Case No. 7:22-cv-10941, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (Hon. Nelson S. Roman). There is no settlement administrator, no official claims website, and no hotline — the case never reached a settlement or class certification.
Current Status: Dismissed With Prejudice
Can You File a Claim?
No — there is nothing to file. Because the case was dismissed before any settlement or class certification, no claims process ever existed, and none exists now. This applies no matter how much Simply Orange or Simply Tropical juice you purchased or when. If you're looking for a form to submit a claim related to this lawsuit, it doesn't exist — and any site offering one is not connected to this case.
How Much Money Is Available?
Case Timeline
- 1
December 28, 2022 — Lawsuit filed
Joseph Lurenz files a proposed class action against The Coca-Cola Company and The Simply Orange Juice Company in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging PFAS contamination in Simply Tropical juice.
- 2
July 17, 2023 — First Amended Complaint
Lurenz files an amended complaint. Coca-Cola moves to dismiss it on October 19, 2023, arguing the claims are legally insufficient.
- 3
July 10, 2024 — Second Amended Complaint
Lurenz files a further amended complaint, again attempting to plead PFAS-related fraud and unjust enrichment claims against Coca-Cola and The Simply Orange Juice Company.
- 4
September 29, 2025 — Motion to dismiss granted
Judge Nelson S. Roman grants Coca-Cola's motion to dismiss the Second Amended Complaint, ruling that Lurenz failed to plausibly allege he suffered a qualifying injury.
- 5
September 30, 2025 — Judgment entered, case closed
The clerk enters judgment dismissing all of Lurenz's claims with prejudice. The case is formally closed with no settlement and no class ever certified.
- 6
August 2026 — No appeal, no revival
Nearly a year after judgment, court records show no notice of appeal was filed. The dismissal appears final, and no related lawsuit over Simply-brand PFAS claims has been filed since.
Scam Alert: There Is No Legitimate Simply Orange Settlement
Because this lawsuit generated real news coverage back in 2023, it still gets searched heavily today — which makes it a target for misleading "claim" content. Three things to watch for:
"Check your eligibility" or claim-form sites
Since this case was dismissed with prejudice and never settled, any website with a claim form, eligibility checker, or payout estimate for a "Simply Orange lawsuit" is not connected to this case — there is no administrator, no fund, and nothing to file. Treat these as lead-generation or phishing attempts, not legal notices.
Recycled 2023 headlines without the 2025 outcome
Some aggregator sites and social posts still circulate the original "Coca-Cola sued over PFAS in Simply Orange" headlines from January 2023 without mentioning the case was thrown out. If a page doesn't mention the September 2025 dismissal, treat its information as outdated.
Mixing this case up with other PFAS lawsuits
There are other, unrelated PFAS lawsuits in the food and beverage space with real, active claims processes. Don't assume a "PFAS settlement" ad applies to Simply Orange — verify the case name and docket number before entering any personal information.
Simply Orange Lawsuit FAQ
Is there a Simply Orange PFAS settlement?
No. The lawsuit (Lurenz v. Coca-Cola) was dismissed with prejudice in September 2025 before it ever reached a settlement or class certification. There is no fund and no payout.
Can I still file a claim against Coca-Cola over Simply Orange?
Not through this lawsuit — there was never a claims process to begin with, and the case is now closed. A different plaintiff could theoretically file a new, separate lawsuit, but none has been filed as of August 2026.
Why was the Simply Orange PFAS lawsuit dismissed?
The court found that plaintiff Joseph Lurenz had "failed to plead sufficient facts to make it plausible that he suffered the sort of injury that would entitle him to relief" — a pleading-stage defect, not a ruling on whether the products actually contain PFAS.
Does Simply Orange or Simply Tropical juice actually contain PFAS?
That was never legally resolved. The original complaint cited independent lab testing alleging PFOA and PFOS levels over 100 times EPA drinking-water guidance, but the case was dismissed on pleading grounds before any court evaluated that evidence on the merits, and Coca-Cola denied the allegations throughout.
Who was the plaintiff, and what court heard the case?
Joseph Lurenz filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (Case No. 7:22-cv-10941), before Judge Nelson S. Roman.
Is this the same as other Coca-Cola / Simply Orange lawsuits I've heard about?
No. Coca-Cola and its Simply-brand juices have faced other, separate consumer lawsuits over the years on different issues (like advertising claims). This page covers only the PFAS "forever chemicals" case, which is now closed.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
Class-action payouts are fixed amounts through an administrator. A personal injury claim is a different case — and often worth far more. Free estimate, no obligation.