Frequently Asked Questions

The people who sued say that chicken processors limited the supply and fixed the price of chicken from January 1, 2012, to July 31, 2019, which broke the law and caused people to pay more for chicken. Defendants say that they did not do anything wrong.

New Settlements worth $22.5 million have been reached for chicken consumers.

You may be a part of the group of people affected, called the “Class.” The Court will hold a hearing on June 30, 2025, to decide if it will approve the New Settlements. Your rights may be affected.

Your options: More about each option: More about each option: Deadline
Submit a Claim File a claim here to get payment from the settlements. If you already filed a claim, do not file another claim. Your original claim will be applied to the new settlements. July 31, 2025
Opt Out Submit an opt out letter for some of the New Settlements. Get no payment from the settlements you opt out of, keep your right to sue some of the Settling Defendants about the same issues.

Please see the sections titled “What does it mean to opt out?” and “Can I opt out of the New Settlements?” for additional information.
May 12, 2025
Do Nothing If you filed a claim before and you do nothing, you will get money from the settlements you are in.

If you did not file a claim before and you do nothing, you will get no payment from the settlements.

Give up the right to sue the Settling Defendants about the same issues.
Object Object Tell the Court why you don’t like the New Settlements. May 12, 2025
Attend the Fairness Hearing You may ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the New Settlements. June 30, 2025

This class action lawsuit is called In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation (No. 1:16-cv-08637). It is pending in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. Judge Thomas M. Durkin is in charge of this lawsuit. The people who sued are called the “End-User Consumer Plaintiffs.” The chicken processor companies they sued are called the “Defendants.” The Defendants and co-conspirators are chicken processors in the United States.

In a class action lawsuit, one or more people, called “Class Representatives,” sue on behalf of themselves and other people who have similar claims. The entire group is called a “Class,” and each person in the group is called a “Class Member.” One court and one case will resolve the issue for all class members, except for those who exclude themselves (or opt out) from the class.

The people who are representing the group in this lawsuit, or the Class Representatives, have all bought fresh or frozen whole bird chicken, chicken breasts, or tenderloins in one of the states that this case covers between January 1, 2012, and July 31, 2019.

They are called “named representatives” and they are: Linda Cheslow, Abraham Drucker, Ian Adams, Marilyn Stangeland, Daniel Pearcy, Kristin Davis, Leslie Weidner, David Weidner, Matthew Hayward, Dorothy Monahan, Joshua Madsen, Natalie Wilbur, Alison Pauk, Michael Perry, William David Marino, Eric Thomas, Kenneth Cote, Catherine Senkle, Margo Stack, James Flasch, Dina Morris, Diane Spell, Angela Ashby, Christina Hall, Richard Heftel, and Stephen Holt.

The New Settling Defendants who agreed to settle this lawsuit are:

• Norman W. Fries, Inc. d/b/a Claxton Poultry Farms (“Claxton Poultry”);
• Foster Farms, LLC and Foster Poultry Farms (“Foster Farms”);
• Harrison Poultry, Inc. (“Harrison Poultry”);
• House of Raeford Farms, Inc. (“House of Raeford”);
• JCG Foods of Alabama, LLC, JCG Foods of Georgia, LLC, Koch Foods, Inc., and Koch Meat Co., Inc. (“Koch Foods”);
• Mountaire Farms Inc., Mountaire Farms, LLC, and Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. (“Mountaire”);
• O.K. Foods, Inc., O.K. Farms, Inc., and O.K. Industries, Inc. (“O.K. Foods”);
• Perdue Farms, Inc. and Perdue Foods LLC (“Perdue”);
• Sanderson Farms, Inc., Sanderson Farms, Inc. (Foods Division), Sanderson Farms, Inc. (Processing Division), and Sanderson Farms, Inc. (Production Division) (“Sanderson Farms”);
• Wayne Farms, LLC (“Wayne Farms”); and
• Simmons Foods, Inc. and Simmons Prepared Foods, Inc. (“Simmons”).

The Court already approved settlements with six Defendants who agreed to pay $181 million. Those Defendants are:

• Fieldale Farms Corporation;
• George’s Inc. and George’s Farms, Inc.;
• Mar-Jac Poultry, Inc., Mar-Jac Poultry MS, LLC, Mar-Jac Poultry AL, LLC, Mar-Jac AL/MS, Inc., Mar-Jac Poultry, LLC, and Mar-Jac Holdings, Inc.;
• Peco Foods, Inc.;
• Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation; and
• Tyson Foods, Inc., Tyson Chicken, Inc., Tyson Breeders, Inc., and Tyson Poultry, Inc.

You may still make a claim for money from these settlements if you did not opt out of them before. But it is too late to opt out of these settlements.

The case will continue against the one remaining Defendant, Agri Stats, Inc. (“Agri Stats”). The district court made a ruling in favor of Agri Stats. But End-User Consumer Plaintiffs plan to appeal and ask the Court to make Agri Stats change its business practices. If the End-User Consumer Plaintiffs are successful, or if there is an additional settlement with Agri Stats, they will post information about this on the website.

If the New Settlements are approved, Harrison Poultry will pay $2,900,000, House of Raeford will pay $4,500,000, Koch Foods will pay $5,000,000, Mountaire will pay $3,000,000, O.K. Foods will pay $3,200,000, Sanderson Farms will pay $750,000, and Simmons will pay $3,000,000. Foster Farms, Claxton Poultry, Perdue, and Wayne Farms settled but do not have to pay money. These New Settlements would resolve all Class Members’ claims against the New Settling Defendants, including where there are Released Claims (as defined in some of the Settlement Agreements).

Added to the previous settlements in this lawsuit, the Settlement Funds will total $203.35 million. This amount will be used to pay money to Class Members and any Court-approved attorney’s fees and expenses, notice and administration costs, and service awards to Class Representatives.

The End-User Consumer Plaintiffs and New Settling Defendants have agreed to settle. A settlement is an agreement to stop the lawsuit. That way, it avoids the cost of a trial or appeal, and the people in the Class will get money or be relieved of a potential risk of having to pay certain fees and costs. The Class Representatives and the attorneys think the New Settlements are best for the Class.

On June 30, 2023, the Court granted the motions for summary judgment filed by some of the defendants, including Foster Farms, Perdue, Claxton, and Wayne Farms. The Class agreed to not appeal or otherwise challenge the summary judgment orders in exchange for these Defendants agreeing to waive their rights to ask for the Class to pay their fees and costs in this lawsuit. The Court preliminarily approved these agreements on February 11, 2025.

You are part of the New Settlements if you are a person or entity who indirectly purchased the following types of raw chicken, whether fresh or frozen: whole birds (with or without giblets), whole cut-up birds purchased within a package, breast cuts or tenderloin cuts, but excluding chicken that is marketed as halal, kosher, free range, organic, diced, minced, ground, seasoned, flavored, or breaded—from defendants or co-conspirators for personal consumption in the Repealer Jurisdictions (or included states) between January 1, 2012, to July 31, 2019.

You must have bought the chicken in one of the “Repealer Jurisdictions” and these states are: 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, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, or Wisconsin.

Already Filed a Claim?

If you already filed a claim in the previous settlements, you should not submit another claim. You will automatically get a payment from the New Settlements.

New Claim?

If you did not file a claim in the previous settlements and did not opt out of the previous settlements, you must complete and submit a Claim Form here by July 31, 2025, to be eligible to get a payment. Your claim will get a payment from all settlements.

You do not need to submit any documents with your Claim Form at this time, but the Settlement Administrator can ask you to provide documents or proof to support your claim. If you don’t provide documents or proof when asked, your claim may be denied.

Update Previous Claim?

If you filed a claim before and want to update your information, please contact the Settlement Administrator by email at info@OverchargedForChicken.com. Include your name, previous address, and email address and the information you want to update.

At this time, we cannot tell you exactly how much money you will get. Your payment will depend on several factors, such as the quantity of chicken you bought, the amount of money you paid, and the total number of valid claims. Payments will be calculated proportionally, so all eligible Class Members get a payment.

You will get paid after the Court approves the New Settlements and a distribution plan and any appeals end. This process can take time. Please check this website for updates.

Opting out means to leave the Class. People opt out when they want to keep their right to sue Defendants on their own about the claims in the lawsuit. If you opt out from a settlement, you will not get money from that settlement. You cannot object to that settlement because it will no longer affect you.

Yes, you can opt out from some of the New Settlements. If you did not previously opt out of the Class in 2022 and want to keep your right to sue some of the New Settling Defendants (Harrison Poultry, House of Raeford, Koch Foods, Mountaire, O.K. Foods, Sanderson Farms, Wayne Farms, and/or Simmons) for the claims in this lawsuit, you may exclude (opt out) yourself by May 12, 2025. You won’t receive any money from any settlements you opt out of.

You can no longer opt out of the New Settlements with Claxton Poultry, Foster Farms, and Perdue.

To opt out of the settlements with Harrison Poultry, House of Raeford, Koch Foods, Mountaire, O.K. Foods, Sanderson Farms, Wayne Farms, and/or Simmons, you must mail a letter, called an Opt-Out Request, to the Settlement Administrator by May 12, 2025. You may opt out of one, more than one, or all of these New Settlements. Your letter must include:

• Your name,
• Your address,
• A sentence stating that you want to be excluded or opt out from In re: Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation (End-User Consumer Action),
• The New Settlements you want to opt out of, and
• Your signature.

You must mail your Exclusion Request, postmarked no later than May 12, 2025, to:

Settlement Administrator:
Broiler Chicken Consumer Litigation
ATTN: EXCLUSIONS
c/o A.B. Data, Ltd.
P.O. Box 173001
Milwaukee, WI 53217

If you stay in the Class and do not opt out from the New Settlements (from which you may still opt out), you cannot sue the New Setting Defendants on your own for the claims in this lawsuit. It also means the Court’s orders will apply to you and legally bind you.

No. If you previously opted out of the Class in 2022, you do not need to opt out of the New Settlements now.

No. The deadline to opt out from the previous settlements has passed.

If you are a Class Member, you can object to the New Settlements if you don’t like part or all of them. The Court will consider your views.

To object, you must mail a letter or other written statement to the Settlement Administrator so it is received by May 12, 2025. Your letter must include:

• Your name,
• Your address,
• Your email address (if you have one),
• A sentence stating that you object to the New Settlements with the New Settling Defendants in In re: Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation (End-User Consumer Action),
• The New Settlements you are objecting to,
• The reasons why you object to the New Settlements,
• Any documents you want the Court to consider, and
• Your signature.

You must mail your objection letter, postmarked no later than May 12, 2025, to:

Settlement Administrator:
Broiler Chicken Consumer Litigation
ATTN: OBJECTIONS
c/o A.B. Data, Ltd.
P.O. Box 173001
Milwaukee, WI 53217

Do not send your written objection to the Court or the judge.

No. The judge cannot change the settlement terms. He can only approve or not approve the New Settlements as they are. If the judge agrees with your objection, he may not approve the New Settlements.

No. The deadline to object to the previous settlements has passed.

Objecting is telling the Court that you do not like something about the New Settlements. You can object to the New Settlements from which you did not opt out. You cannot object to the New Settlements if you previously opted out from the Class in 2022.

Opting out is telling the Court that you do not want to participate in the lawsuit. If you opt out from some of the New Settlements, you will not be able to object to those New Settlements because they do not affect you.

Yes. The Court appointed Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP and Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC as Co-Lead Counsel for the Class.

If you are a Class Member, you do not need to hire your own lawyer because Co-Lead Counsel is working on your behalf. You will not be charged for these lawyers. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your own expense.

Co-Lead Counsel will ask the Court for attorney fees, up to 33.3% of the New Settlement Funds (or $7,450,000) for their services in this lawsuit related to the New Settlements, and may ask to be reimbursed for up to $9.75 million in costs and expenses from this litigation.

Also, Class Counsel will ask the Court for up to $2,000 in service awards for each of the class representatives for the work they did for the Class.

The Court must approve any attorney’s fees and expenses and service awards, and the Court may award less than the requested amount.

When Co-Lead Counsel’s motion for fees and expenses is filed, a copy will be available on this website under Important Documents. The motion will be posted on the website at least 14 days before the objection deadline.

The Court will hold a hearing to decide whether to approve the New Settlements (the “Fairness Hearing”). The Fairness Hearing will be held on June 30, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. CT, at the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Courtroom 1441, 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604.

At this hearing, the Court will consider whether the New Settlements are fair, reasonable, and adequate. If there are objections, the Court will consider them. You may attend and you may ask to speak, but you don’t have to. The Court will listen to people who have asked to speak at the hearing.

After the hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the New Settlements and any requests for attorney fees and expenses, notice and administration costs, and service awards for the class representatives. We do not know how long these decisions will take.

The Court may also move the Fairness Hearing to a different date or time without additional notice. Updates will be posted on this website, so please check back if you would like to attend the hearing.

No. Co-Lead Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have. However, you are welcome to come at your own expense. If you send an objection, you do not have to come to Court to talk about it. As long as you mailed your written objection on time, the Court will consider it. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but it’s not necessary.

Yes. You may ask to speak at the Fairness Hearing. To do so, you must mail a letter, called a Notice of Intention to Appear, to the Clerk of the Court and the Settlement Administrator so it is received by May 12, 2025. Your letter must include:

• Your name,
• Your address,
• Your telephone number,
• A sentence stating that it is your Notice of Intention to Appear in In re: Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation (End-User Consumer Action), and
• Your signature.

You must mail your Notice of Intention to Appear letter, postmarked no later than May 12, 2025, to both the Clerk of the Court and the Settlement Administrator at both of these addresses:

Court: Claims Administrator:
Clerk of the Court
219 South Dearborn Street
Courtroom 1441
Chicago, IL 60604
Broiler Chicken Consumer Litigation
ATTN: APPEAR
c/o A.B. Data, Ltd.
P.O. Box 173001
Milwaukee, WI 53217

You cannot ask to speak at the hearing if you excluded yourself from the Class.

More details are in the Settlement Agreements. You can find copies of the Settlement Agreements and other important documents on this website under Important Documents. You may contact the Settlement Administrator at info@OverchargedForChicken.com or toll-free at 1-877-888-5428