Every ShelfLaw guide follows the same rules, so you can trust what you read before you file a claim.
Where our facts come from
- Court records: complaints, orders, preliminary and final approval rulings and settlement agreements.
- Official settlement websites: only the site named in the court-approved notice, run by the appointed administrator.
- Government agencies: the FTC, FDA, NHTSA, CPSC and state attorneys general.
- Company statements: quoted and labeled as the company’s own position.
Our rules
- We never invent or estimate a payout per person unless a court or administrator has published it.
- We only link to official claim forms. We never point readers to third-party sign-up pages.
- We say clearly whether a case is a filed lawsuit, a proposed settlement, an approved settlement or already paid out.
- We separate what a lawsuit alleges from what a court has found.
- Every guide shows a dated “Latest update” and a short note of what changed.
Fact-checking
Before publishing, a second review checks each case name, court, deadline, amount and eligibility rule against its source. Anything we cannot confirm is removed or labeled as unconfirmed.
Updates
Settlements move through approval, appeals and payment. We revisit our most-read guides regularly and whenever an administrator posts new dates.
Independence and advertising
ShelfLaw may show ads to stay free. Advertisers, brands and law firms have no say over what we publish or how we describe a case.
Mistakes
We correct errors quickly and note them on the page. See our Corrections policy.