What lawsuits have been filed against Dr Eric Berg and what are their outcomes?
Executive summary
Multiple lawsuits and formal actions involving Eric Berg or companies he controls are documented in public records: a 2008 Virginia disciplinary consent order that resulted in a reprimand and monetary penalty (Quackwatch summarizing the board order) [1], a 2023 proposed class action claiming Dr. Berg Nutritionals mislabeled electrolyte powder as “naturally flavored” (ClassAction.org) [2], a 2021 California judgment document tied to Prop 65 enforcement against The Health & Wellness Center, Inc. d/b/a Dr. Berg Nutritionals (state filing) [3], a 2017 federal civil docket where Dr. Berg sued Dr. Jacob Torres (CourtListener) [4], and at least one 2022 employment-related suit alleging coercion to take Scientology courses (Tony Ortega’s Underground Bunker) [5]. Consumer complaint sites show numerous consumer grievances but do not by themselves establish lawsuit outcomes [6] [7].
1. Disciplinary reprimand in Virginia: regulator found unsupported therapeutic claims
A Virginia Board proceeding resulted in a consent agreement in which Eric Berg, D.C., accepted a reprimand and a monetary penalty for making multiple therapeutic claims that “were not supportable by reasonable scientific or medical evidence,” as summarized in a Quackwatch posting that reproduces the board’s findings and order [1]. The public record cited by Quackwatch shows the sanction was disciplinary (reprimand) rather than a civil money judgment for consumers [1].
2. Consumer class action over “naturally flavored” electrolyte powder
Dr. Berg Nutritionals was named in a proposed class action filed in January 2023 alleging the company falsely marketed its Original Keto Electrolyte powder as “naturally flavored” despite containing DL‑malic acid, which the complaint characterizes as an artificial flavoring (ClassAction.org) [2]. The complaint sought to represent California purchasers since Jan. 17, 2019; ClassAction.org reported the filing and the asserted basis for the claim [2]. Available sources do not state the lawsuit’s final resolution or any settlement outcome [2].
3. California Proposition 65 filing / judgment involving Dr. Berg Nutritionals
A California Attorney General/Prop 65-related PDF in the public record lists a judgment entry against The Health & Wellness Center, Inc., dba Dr. Berg Nutritionals (document hosted on CA OAG files) [3]. The filing names the company in connection with Prop 65 enforcement; the document exists in state files. The available source shows the judgment document’s existence but does not summarize the full terms or damages in the snippet [3]. For precise remedies, the state docket or judgment text should be reviewed [3].
4. Litigation between practitioners: Berg as plaintiff in federal court
Court dockets show that “Dr. Eric Berg, D.C.” was the plaintiff in a 2017 federal case against Dr. Jacob Torres in the Western District (CourtListener docket for 5:17‑cv‑00153) [4]. The docket entries include motions, counsel withdrawals and routine filings; the CourtListener summary documents the case number and filings but the available snippets do not state final disposition or judgment [4]. Available sources do not mention the ultimate outcome of that civil action [4].
5. Employment suit alleging religious/coercive workplace practices
Reporting by Tony Ortega’s Underground Bunker covered a 2022 lawsuit by a former employee who alleged persistent pressure at Berg’s workplace, including coercion to take Scientology courses; the story noted the plaintiff had scheduled deposition testimony [5]. Ortega’s reporting frames the claim as an employment suit alleging coercion tied to Scientology practices. The available source documents the complaint and upcoming deposition but does not describe a final court ruling in that matter [5].
6. Consumer complaints and online allegations: widespread but not the same as judicial findings
Numerous consumer complaint platforms (BBB, Trustpilot) host complaints about product effects, refunds and alleged misleading health claims or business practices tied to Berg and Dr. Berg Nutritionals; Trustpilot and BBB entries collect user allegations including insomnia after supplements or accusations of medical misrepresentation [6] [7]. Those postings are evidence of consumer dissatisfaction and occasional civil complaints but do not substitute for court adjudications; the sources do not show a comprehensive list of resulting legal judgments tied to each complaint [6] [7].
7. What’s missing, and how to verify outcomes
Public sources in this collection establish filings, regulatory discipline and proposed class actions, but they do not consistently report final settlements, damage awards, injunctions, or appellate dispositions for many items [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. To confirm outcomes, consult the underlying court dockets, state judgment databases (e.g., California OAG, federal PACER), or official board orders; the snippets here either show filings or partial documents without complete resolutions [1] [3] [4] [2].
8. Competing narratives and implicit agendas in sources
Advocacy and consumer sites emphasize alleged harms and pitch narratives of quackery or fraud (Trustpilot, RationalWiki excerpts), while legal-document aggregators and class‑action sites report filings and legal theories without editorializing [7] [8] [2] [9]. Tony Ortega’s site highlights a specific religious/coercion allegation tied to Scientology and frames it in investigative terms [5]. Readers should note that consumer reviews and critical encyclopedias add reputational context but are not legal determinations; regulatory orders and court dockets provide the strongest documentary evidence cited here [1] [4] [3] [2].
If you want, I can pull the full text of the Virginia consent order, the Prop 65 judgment PDF, or the 2017 federal docket entries and summarize the specific language of each outcome next.