Four-digit checks don't usually fall from the sky.

But a group of e-cigarette users suddenly have a little more money thanks to a major class action lawsuit involving one of America's tobacco giants.

In online forums and social media this week, users of Juul Labs nicotine products posted screenshots of online deposits worth hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars that they now have access to.

The source of the funds are two settlements totaling $300 million agreed between Juul and Altria, Juul's 35 percent shareholder, over allegations that the companies misled consumers about the addiction potential and safety of the drug Products deceived. They were also accused of illegal marketing to minors.

Altria has denied the allegations, while Juul has not admitted any wrongdoing. A court has not decided whether either company violated the law.

Juul agreed to a deal in 2022, but the Altria agreement needed to boost payouts wasn't approved until earlier this year. And just this month, the review of the claims of approximately 842,000 eligible Juul customers began.

The deadline for asserting claims has already expired.

After deducting fees, taxes and contingencies, eligible applicants were entitled to a total amount of approximately $202,000,000. An average claim amount was not immediately available; Payouts were based in part on how many receipts a Juul user could provide as proof of purchase.

An attorney representing the plaintiffs' class did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The issue of e-cigarettes remains controversial in the United States as e-cigarette companies and federal regulators continue to haggle over the products' health effects and marketing restrictions. In June, the Food and Drug Administration reversed an earlier decision that had effectively banned Juul products – but did not give them the green light for sale pending further review of new health studies and case law.