A Paducah physician’s gift sent to a family member in Italy was the genesis of a 2006 class action lawsuit by The Byrant Law Center against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Sam’s Club East. Dr. Joseph Mayo of Paducah, Kentucky, later discovered that the Prada purse he had purchased for several hundred dollars and sent as a gift to his sister in law was a fake. Then other Prada bags purchased at Sam’s also were examined by Prada and determined to be replicas.

The Bryant Law Center and attorney Michael Miller of Alexandria, Va., filed a class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court Western District of Kentucky seeking relief on behalf of thousands of customers who had purchased the handbags. The suit asserted claims of unjust enrichment and consumer fraud.

Wal-Mart in 2008 reached a settlement with the plaintiffs which required them to identify everyone who had purchased a fake purse and to offer refunds to thousands of people nationwide who had purchased the handbags. Wal-Mart admitted no errors or wrongdoing and asserted it was unaware that it had offered counterfeit merchandise for sale.