Maple Leaf Foods Class Action
February 27, 2009 - A proposed class action settlement has been reached, and in order to apply for compensation, we encourage you to visit the following website: www.mapleleafclaim.com. Please note that even if you have completed the below info table (at the end of this webpage), in order to apply for compensation you must fill out a separate Claim Form, a copy of which can be obtained at http://www.mapleleafclaim.com/claim.php?locale=en_CA&page=making_a_claim and submit it to the Settlement Administrator's Office in Ottawa by no later than July 31, 2009. The Settlement Administrator's Office is responsible for processing of claims and handling inquiries or questions about the settlement process. Please contact the Settlement Administrator’s Office at 1-800-801-2521 with any questions regarding the Claim process.
December 18, 2008 - A proposed settlement has initially been reached with regard to the Maple Leaf Foods class actions. The proposed settlement has not yet been approved by the courts, and the process to gain court approval will take a few months to complete. If the proposed settlement is approved by the courts, a compensation program will then be established and run by a Settlement Administrator Firm. The same compensation program would provide eligible class members with financial compensation based upon the injuries suffered by each individual. The compensation program process will involve the Settlement Administrator Firm (which will not be a law firm) assessing individual Claim Forms to determine the individual compensation entitlement of each class member. The Settlement Administrator Firm has not yet been appointed and the Claim Forms have not yet been set or approved by the courts. The compensation program has not begun and the Claims Forms are not yet available. The courts will ultimately set the criteria for determining who will be included as a class member and who will be entitled to compensation pursant to any final settlement. The proposed settlement includes a proposed compensation schedule, a copy of which can be viewed here: Schedule "A" of proposed settlement agreement, which is subject to court approval.
September 18, 2008 - Tony Merchant today condemned comments made by Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz at the height of the Listeria outbreak, stating: "Minister Ritz is responsible for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and made very insensitive comments. The families we represent will be very offended. These comments by the Minister raise new questions about whether the federal government reacted properly to the Listeria outbreak and realized the devastating consequences of this tragedy."
August 25, 2008 - Merchant Law Group has launched numerous lawsuits against Maple Leaf Foods for individuals and families affected by the recent contamination of meat products, which has led to various cases of listeriosis.
Symptoms of listeriosis can include nausea, vomiting, cramps and fever. If you are concerned you are experiencing symptoms of listeriosis, we recommend you contact a medical doctor without delay.
As reported by national newspapers, television, radio, and local media, Merchant Law Group filed the first class action lawsuits in Canada on behalf of listeriosis victims and recalled meat purchasers.
Our law firm has launched class action lawsuits in various provinces across Canada concerning the listeria outbreak, which has caused at least 20 deaths and numerous cases of serious illness by people who have ingested contaminated meat and other products.
Our class action lawsuits seek compensation for all Canadians affected by the recalls including:
- families of listeria victims,
- people who have been sick or continue to suffer from listeria related illnesses,
- people who are worried they may have eaten contaminated recall meat products and fear they may become ill due to listeria
- individual purchasers and business purchasers of recalled producers,
- any persons or businesses who have incurred medical expenses, loss of employment or business income, and
- any other persons or businesses who have been harmed or suffered losses as a result of the listeria outbreak caused by Maple Leaf Foods.
All Canadian residents who have purchased recall Maple Leaf Foods products or experience listeriosis symptoms are eligible to join this class action case. Please note, filling out the form below creates no financial obligation for you. This class action litigation is currently being pursued before various Courts and remains open for new claimants who wish to seek compensation to join, and we encourage new individuals to complete the form below for further updates.
[Information francais] POUR LE SERVICE EN FRANCAIS AU SUJET DE CE RECOURS COLLECTIF (OU D'AUTRE RECOURS POTENTIEL), S.V.P. CONTACTER NOTRE BUREAU DE MONTREAL: MONTREAL@MERCHANTLAW.COM.
Merchant Law Group LLP has 12 offices across Canada, with lawyers practising law in six Canadian provinces and an American state. Please note, filling out the form below creates no financial obligation for you.
Merchant Law Group LLP has 12 offices across Canada, with lawyers practising law in six provinces and an American state. Tony Merchant, Q.C., and his firm are well known for their involvement in Mass & Class Action cases in Canada, including class proceedings regarding Complete Contact Lens Solution, Silicon Breast Implant, Winners/HomeSense, HSBC Mutual Funds, Various Cellular Phone Fees, Molson-Coors Merger, Conrad Black/Hollinger, GM Gasket Manifolds, Lead Paint in Toys (and similar consumer products), Menu Foods, Paxil, Vioxx, Agent Orange, Cryptosporidium Water, Sony, Residential School litigation, CPR Anhydrous Ammonia, and cases regarding ISM Information Security, Tundra noxious gas emissions, Zonolite, Canadian Wheat Board Pool transfers, and various other cases. Tony Merchant is known to be one of Canada's most active litigators with more than 600 reported cases in leading Caselaw Journals, having argued thousands of cases before the Canadian and American Courts, in Trial and Administrative Courts, and the Courts of Appeal of various American and Canadian jurisdictions, the Federal Court of Canada, and the Supreme Court of Canada. Tony Merchant, Q.C., has a long history in pursuing public policy cases and is a former Member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A.)
IF YOU WISH TO JOIN THIS CLASS ACTION OR TO SIMPLY GET MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE COMPLETE THE BELOW FORM. (Please note, providing your information creates no financial obligation for you. You are not charged any fee or cost for joining this class action - we are simply paid a contingency fee from the compensation recovered, if successful.) If you are a business or franchise store owner click here.
[IF YOU ARE A BUSINESS OR FRANCHISE STORE OWNER CLICK HERE]
The federal government has established a listeria recall information website at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2008/list97be.shtml, which provides a complete list of the various products that have been recalled. We suggest that you consult the same website if you have any questions regarding meat products in your possession that may have been recalled.
One way to tell if meat products are on the recall list is to look for the Establishment number - look for a stamp that reads "Est. 97B" to determine if it is recalled meat from the Bartor Road Maple Leaf Foods facility. When in doubt about any meat product, we suggest you attempt to return it for a refund or throw it out. Any suspect products should be returned to the point of purchase for a full refund.
Listeria monocytogenes (commonly called Listeria) is a bacteria that may cause a potentially fatal infection called listeriosis. Listeria can have an incubation period of anywhere from a few days to three months. This means that a person might be carrying the bacteria, but might not display symptoms immediately. This infection is particularly dangerous for pregnant women, the elderly and individuals with weakened immune systems. In adults, particularly the elderly or those with compromised immune systems, the disease can lead to brain infection (meningitis), blood infection (septicemia), lung infection (pneumonia), heart infection (endocarditis) and even death. For more information on Listeria, please see the Health Canada website at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/food-aliment/listeria-eng.php.
(Please note, in an effort to reduce Canadian spam, we enforce browser headers. What this means is you will have to disable any anonymous browser security such as Norton Internet Security just while you fill out and submit the form. If you are uncomfortable with this or just unsure how, please feel free to send the details asked for in this firm direct to me using the Technical support link at the bottom of the page, and I will be happy to add you myself.)