Court Grants Final Approval of $14 Million Peterson Oil Class Action Settlement

01/29/2026

Regan Strom is pleased to announce that the Suffolk County Superior Court’s Business Litigation Session (BLS) has granted final approval of a $14 million class action settlement reached last fall in the Peterson Oil matter. In its order, the Court found the settlement “fair, reasonable, adequate, and in the best interests of the Class,” clearing the way for distribution to thousands of Class Members. Together with a prior, partial settlement in the same litigation, the Class’s total recovery from this case will reach $19.6 million.

The case, Marandino v. Peterson’s Oil Service, Inc., et al. (Civil Action No. 1984-CV-00782 BLS2), involved claims that thousands of Peterson Oil customers across Central Massachusetts were led to believe they were purchasing ordinary, industry-standard home heating oil, but received fuel contaminated with large quantities of biodiesel. The Plaintiffs alleged that the contaminated fuel repeatedly shut down customers’ heating equipment, caused long-term equipment damage, contained less heating content (BTUs) than standard heating oil, and was worth far less than the product for which customers paid.

Regan Strom litigated the claims for over 6.5 years and fully prepared the case for trial before the $14 million settlement was reached on the eve of a month-long trial last fall. The Court’s final approval order resolves that settlement and directs the parties to implement its distribution plan. An earlier, partial settlement in the same litigation was resolved separately and brings the Class’s total recovery to $19.6 million.

Of the final approval, Attorney John Regan stated, “Today’s order is the culmination of nearly seven years of hard-fought litigation, and it is enormously gratifying to see the Court find this resolution fair, reasonable, and in the best interests of the people we represent. Our Named Plaintiffs invested an extraordinary amount of their time to make this outcome possible, and the thousands of families and small businesses that we allege were harmed by what Peterson Oil delivered into their tanks now have meaningful relief in sight.”

With final approval entered, all Class Members are bound by the Settlement Agreement. Optime Administration, LLC will administer the distributions in accordance with the Court-approved plan. Class Members can find additional information, including the distribution timeline, at PetersonOilClassActionSettlement.com.

Peterson Oil customers who received deliveries between January 1, 2012 and November 12, 2025 (as well as current owners of properties that received deliveries during that period) should have received notices in the mail regarding the settlement.

UPDATE May 1, 2026: Settlement checks have been mailed to class members. If you believe you are a class member and have not yet received your check, please contact Optime Administration:

Optime Administration, LLC
PO Box 3206
Brockton, MA 02304
Toll Free: (844) 625-7313
Fax: (781) 287-0381
Email: PetersonOilSettlement@optimeadmin.com

Related Links:

“Class-Action Lawsuit Against Peterson Oil Settles for $14 Million,” Telegram & Gazette

“$19.6 Million in Settlements Reached in Peterson Oil Class Action” (Regan Strom, Oct. 30, 2025)

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