As part of a court approved agreement, Southern States P.B.A. and associated plaintiffs today announced a preliminary settlement with Point Blank Body Armor, Inc. in connection with a class-action lawsuit filed January 3, 2005 in Broward County Circuit Court, Florida. The Association entered this legal action prompted by concerns regarding particular vests with high concentrations of Zylon® distributed by Point Blank Body Armor, Inc. The particular vests at issue are the Legacy Premier and Galls Platinum vests, more specifically described by model numbers LEG-1, LEG2-4, LEG3A-6, LEG1F and LEG2F-3. Point Blank has discontinued the sale of these vests.
The result is that Point Blank has committed to institute an exchange program, at no cost to the officers, for these particular bullet-resistant vests. The settlement, in summary, provides:
All purchasers and owners of Point Blank Legacy Premier or Galls Platinum vests, more specifically described by model numbers LEG-1, LEG2-4, LEG3A-6, LEG1F and LEG2F-3, will be entitled to:
- A free exchange of their current vest for one of four other vests manufactured by Point Blank Body Armor.
- An option to upgrade to a Level IIIA vest at no cost.
- Two extra carriers for the Replacement Vest (total of three carriers); and
- A fully-transferable certificate, exercisable for 60 months for a 10% discount off the then prevailing best-negotiated price on any one ballistic resistant soft body armor manufactured by Point Blank Body Armor.
Point Blank is also making a contribution to the Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. and to the Ohio Troopers Coalition Scholarship Fund. (the Ohio Troopers Coalition was a co-plaintiff). Point Blank will conduct testing on certain models of their used body armor; making their testing data, protocols and other information publicly available. More details are available at www.sspba.org.
Jack Roberts, President of the Southern States Police Benevolent Association (a named Plaintiff in the lawsuit) commented, “The settlement addresses the fundamental issue we raised regarding the effectiveness and durability of body armor with high concentrations of Zylon®. We are very pleased that Point Blank has agreed to this exchange program.”
Pursuant to the agreement, Point Blank will attempt to notify every registered purchaser of the exchange program by direct mail and by advertising in selected trade publications.
For more information, including program registration information, contact Point Blank Body Armor, Inc.