Class Action Formed for Dispute of Costs of Fire Trucks

Did your municipality execute a contract for the purchase of a fire truck and then find that contract price not honored? Many municipalities did, so many that several lawsuits have been filed to seek damages for the unanticipated price increases and unexplainable delays in delivery, claimed to be caused by collusive antitrust practices. Municipalities across the country have joined in an antitrust class action lawsuit alleging a coordinated effort to inflate the price of fire trucks sold to municipalities. The case, City of Ann Arbor v. Oshkosh Corporation alleges collusion between certain fire truck manufacturers, the private equity firms that own them, and a fire manufacturers’ trade group to artificially inflate the price of fire trucks. The complaints allege that this collusion has led to more than doubling the cost of fire trucks and nearly tripling their delivery time, forcing municipalities to keep older vehicles in service longer, creating a risk of harm to the firefighters and the public. 

The City of Ann Arbor has sued on behalf of all fire departments and municipalities nationwide that purchased fire trucks between January 1, 2016 and December 2025, when the lawsuit was filed. Among the numerous alleged counts is Count 13, alleging violation of the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, G.L. c. 93A, § 2, on behalf of subclass members who purchased in Massachusetts. Several cases, with the City of Ann Arbor case designated as the lead case, are consolidated in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Damages include restitution of unlawful profits and injunctive relief to stop unlawful conduct. More information about joining the lawsuit, for those communities interested, will be forthcoming and reported in a future newsletter.