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A class-action lawsuit alleging price-fixing in the poultry industry might mean a little extra grocery money in your pocket.
Maybe.
Eventually.
The class-action lawsuit, known as The Broiler Chicken Antitrust suit, alleges 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 $181 million settlement, which is pending in a U.S. District Court in Northern Illinois, is open to people in 24 states, including North Carolina and South Carolina.
There are five “settling” defendants in the case, which includes Tyson and Pilgrim’s, and a number of “non-settling” defendants. The case against the “non-settling defendants,” which include Perdue Farms, Sanderson Farms and House of Raeford Farms, is continuing.
If you want a deeper dive into the intricacies of poultry price-fixing, USA Today explains more on its site.
Are you eligible for chicken lawsuit money?
If you purchased fresh or frozen raw chicken between January 2009 and Dec. 31, 2020, and you live in one of the states listed below, you can file a claim.
The claim period opened Sept. 11 and continues until Dec. 31, 2022.
You must live in Washington, D.C., or one of the following states: Hawaii, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.
How to file a chicken class action lawsuit claim:
>> Go to overchargedfor chicken.com and click “File Your Claim Here.”
>> Fill out the first page of the form, providing your name, address, phone number and email address. Click “Next.”
>> You’ll be asked whether you purchased fresh or frozen raw chicken from Jan. 1, 2009, through Dec. 31, 2020.
>> You’ll be asked whether you purchased chicken while living in one of the states listed above.
>> You’ll be asked whether you’re filing on behalf of yourself or a business, whether you purchased chicken on a monthly basis, and about how many packages of chicken you purchased each month.
>> You’ll be asked to estimate the amount of money you spent on chicken each month. You do not need to provide any receipts.
>> You’ll type your name, which acts as your signature, and click “Submit.” You’ll see your claim number there.
When do you get your chicken lawsuit money?
That’s a great question. The answer: Not anytime soon.
The overchargedfor chicken.com website says, “Relief from the Settlement will be made only if the Court approves the Settlement and only after any appeals are resolved. Please be patient.”
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