Court Sides with New Jersey Woman Suing Maker of Diet Pill

October 5, 2010

New Jersey’s Supreme Court has ruled that a woman who says she got fatter while taking a weight-loss supplement can proceed with a class-action lawsuit against the product’s maker.

In court filings, Melissa Lee claims she took the supplement Relacore for about four months and gained weight. The three bottles of pills she bought at a store in Rahway cost about $120.

Lee contends that the Carter-Reed Company, makers of Relacore, made false claims about the product in advertisements.

A trial court and a state appeals court both denied Lee’s attempts to gain class-action status. But a Supreme Court ruling published Thursday held that the case can go ahead.

An attorney representing Carter-Reed didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment.