Overcharged For Chicken Class Action Settlement - Select States
If you purchased chicken products, you could be eligible to receive money from a $181 million settlement.
What is the settlement about?
This class action is called In re: Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation (End-User Consumer Action), Case No. 1:16-cv-08637 (N.D. Ill.) and is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas M. Durkin is in charge of this class action.
End-User Consumer Plaintiffs allege that Defendants and their co-conspirators conspired to restrict the supply of, and fix, raise, and stabilize the price of chicken, as of January 1, 2009, in violation of federal and state consumer and antitrust laws.
The Defendants and co-conspirators are chicken processors in the United States. In the notice, “Settling Defendants” refers to Fieldale, George’s, Mar-Jac, Peco, Pilgrim’s, and Tyson. “Non-Settling Defendants” refers to Agri Stats, Inc., Claxton Poultry Farms, Inc.; Foster Farms, LLC and Foster Poultry Farms; Harrison Poultry, Inc., House of Raeford Farms, Inc.; JCG Foods of Alabama, LLC, JCG Foods of Georgia, LLC, Koch Foods, Inc. and Koch Meats Co., Inc.; Mountaire Farms, Inc., Mountaire Farms, LLC, and Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc.; Koch Foods, Inc., JCG Foods of Alabama, LLC, JCG Foods of Georgia, LLC, and Koch Meat Co., Inc.; O.K. Foods, Inc., O.K. Farms, Inc., and O.K. Industries, Inc.; Perdue Farms, Inc. and Perdue Foods LLC; Sanderson Farms, Inc., Sanderson Farms, Inc. (Foods Division), Sanderson Farms, Inc. (Processing Division) and Sanderson Farms, Inc. (Production Division); Wayne Farms, LLC; Mountaire Farms, Inc., Mountaire Farms, LLC, and Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc.; Foster Farms, LLC; House of Raeford Farms, Inc.; and Simmons Foods, Inc. and Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc.
End-User Consumer Plaintiffs have reached Settlements with the Settling Defendants, but the End-User Consumers’ case is proceeding against the Non-Settling Defendants. Those other Non-Settling Defendants may be subject to separate settlements, judgments, or class certification orders. If applicable, you will receive a separate notice regarding the progress of the litigation and any resolution of claims against other Non-Settling Defendants.
Settling Defendants have not admitted any liability and continue to deny all allegations of wrongdoing in this lawsuit and would allege numerous defenses to Plaintiffs’ claims if the case against it were to proceed.
Claim Period Begins
September 11, 2021
Exclusion & Objection Deadline
November 10, 2021
Final Approval Hearing
December 20, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.
Claim Period Ends
December 31, 2022
YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS IN THESE SETTLEMENTS
SUBMIT A CLAIM
This is the only way to be eligible to receive a payment from the Settlements.
ASK TO BE EXCLUDED This is the only option that allows you ever to be part of any other lawsuit against Settling Defendants concerning the Released Claims (as defined in the Settlement Agreements). Requests for Exclusion must be postmarked or received by November 10, 2021.
OBJECT You may write to the Court about why you don’t like the Settlements with the Settling Defendants. Objections must be postmarked or received by November 10, 2021.
ATTEND THE FAIRNESS HEARING You may request to speak in Court about the fairness of the Settlements.
DO NOTHING If you do nothing, you will remain a member of the Settlement Class and will not get a payment from the Settlements. You will also have the opportunity to participate in (or exclude yourself from) any future settlements or judgments obtained by End-User Consumer Plaintiffs.
FAQS
Members of the Settlement Class are defined as:
All persons and entities who indirectly purchased fresh or frozen raw chicken (defined as whole birds (with or without giblets), whole cut-up birds purchased within a package, or “white meat” parts including breasts and wings (or cuts containing a combination of these), but excluding chicken that is marketed as halal, kosher, free range, or organic) from Defendants or alleged co-conspirators for personal consumption, where the person or entity purchased in California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island (after July 15, 2013), South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wisconsin from January 1, 2009 (except for Rhode Island, which is from July 15, 2013), to July 31, 2019.
While these Settlements are only with Settling Defendants, the Settlement Class includes persons who purchased chicken products from any of the Non-Settling Defendants or their alleged co-conspirators. If you are a member of the Settlement Class and do not exclude yourself, you may be eligible to participate in (or exclude yourself from) any additional settlements which may arise with any other Non-Settling Defendants in the case.
