After years of litigation over the size of a sandwich, Subway appears to be within inches of a final settlement of the lawsuit.

According to news reports, U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman for the Eastern District of Wisconsin gave preliminary approval to a settlement that has Subway paying $525,000 in a class-action lawsuit filed in 2013 against Doctor's Associates Inc., the Milford, Connecticut-based Subway franchiser that promoted footlong sandwiches for $5. After his footlong sub measured in at 11-1/4 inches, Jason Leslie sued Subway, and his case was consolidated with others into a class action that alleged deceptive advertising by Subway over its footlong sandwich. The settlement provides for plaintiffs such as Leslie to receive $1,000.

"Subway has to change to make sure that nobody is shortchanged," Leslie's attorney Gerald Marks said. "If they think they're paying for a footlong worth of bread and meat and vegetables, that's what they're going to get."

Subway responded, saying it regretted that it didn't fully deliver on its promise and pledged to improve its quality control.

A settlement fairness hearing is scheduled for January 15, 2016.

—Source: app.com