Chicken Class Action Lawsuit- How To Claim Your Share Of $203.5 Million

Did you buy raw chicken at a supermarket during the past decade? You may be owed some money! According to USA Today, a huge chicken class action suit just settled for $203.5 million. It’s a big win for consumers who may have paid too much for a dinner table staple.

Therefore, now we’re going to break down the inside information on how you can claim your share of this fund with ease.

Overview – The Price-Fixing Scandal And Settlement

In 2025, a large chicken class action lawsuit settled for a whopping $203.5 million to end claims of price-fixing in the broiler chicken market. This historic settlement will provide compensation to millions of consumers. These individuals purchased raw chicken products from some big-name companies over the course of a decade.

What Is The Chicken Class Action Lawsuit About?

The subject of this case was charges of secret conspiracies among major U.S. chicken processors to artificially inflate the price of chicken. They did this through the withholding of broiler chickens from the supply chain. Broiler chickens are the type which is ordinarily used for pieces like breasts, wings, and whole chickens in grocery stores.

Allegations

The big chicken processors, including market leader Tyson Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride, and Foster Farms, were accused of colluding secretly. They were accused of having conspired to artificially inflate chicken prices by reducing the overall quantity of chicken supplied to the market, according to Reuters.

The Tyson chicken class action lawsuit component was a main part of the whole lawsuit.

Legal Reasons

The suit was filed under the Sherman Antitrust Act. This significant federal legislation prohibits business practices that restrain trade in an unreasonable fashion, essentially protecting competition.

When companies collude and fix prices, they are breaking this law. This chicken class action suit seeks to hold them responsible.

The Big Number

ClassAction.org states that the total settlement pool for end-user consumers, including the recent settlements, now stands at over $203.5 million. This massive chicken class action lawsuit shows the seriousness of the issue.

Who Is Eligible To Join?

Millions of American consumers are eligible to receive compensation from this chicken class action lawsuit. Proving your eligibility is the first, most important step.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for a payment from the chicken class action suit, you typically must meet two conditions:

Bought Raw Chicken Products

You must have purchased fresh or frozen raw chicken products. These include whole birds, whole cut-up birds packaged, breast cuts, or tenderloin cuts. Exclusions apply to products like ground, seasoned, organic, or Kosher chicken.

Time Frame And State

Your purchases must have been made between January 1, 2012, and July 31, 2019, and in one of the eligible states or the District of Columbia.

The eligible states usually are: California, 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, and Wisconsin.

Buying from large retailers like Amazon, Target, and Kroger is part of this chicken class action lawsuit since they purchased from the defendants.

Documentation Requirements

You are probably concerned about digging through piles of old receipts. Don’t!

Proof Is Not Always Necessary

Receipts or other proof of purchase are not always necessary in order to make a claim. You can still make a claim without them.

Proof Can Help

If you do have evidence, you may be able to collect a greater percentage of the fund. The reason is that it’s paid pro rata based on how much chicken you bought during the class period.

Be Honest

Don’t forget that you have to sign your claim under penalty of perjury. It is not legal to make false claims and injures other qualified consumers in this chicken class action lawsuit.

How Much Can You Expect To Receive?

The individual amount for which each claimant will receive in the class action lawsuit on chicken is not yet settled. We do know that the total fund for consumer claims in the settlement is $203.5 million.

Estimated Payout

The payout figure strictly depends on only two key factors: the number of claims allowed that have been filed and the total dollar amount of chicken product purchased collectively by all claimants.

Proportional Distribution

The funds will be distributed proportionately. That is, people who bought more chicken during the class period are likely to receive a larger sum. Past settlements in similar cases have had payments ranging from $10 to over $100 per person.

Making A Claim

Claim submission to receive your part of the chicken class action lawsuit is made simple.

Go To The Official Settlement Website

Go to the official lawsuit website (Overcharged for Chicken). Look up the link to the End-User Consumer Claims.

File The Claim Form Online

Fill out the required form with your current personal details and chicken purchase details. However, if you had already filed a claim in the initial $181 million settlement, then you need not file another claim for the new $22.5 million settlement.

Thus, your prior claim will be applied automatically.

Submit Documentation (Optional)

Attach any documentation you have, including grocery loyalty program details or receipts, to try a larger payment if you do have it.

Submit The Claim

Make sure you submit and finalize your claim online or by mail before the deadline.

Key Dates And Deadlines

Place these dates on your calendar for the chicken class action lawsuit:

• Claim Submission Deadline: July 31, 2025
• Final Approval Hearing: June 30, 2025

Payment Distribution

Checks are mailed after the final approval hearing and appeals have been fully resolved. This may be several months or more.

Why This Settlement Matters

This chicken class action settlement is more than the payment. It is a resounding victory for consumer rights.

Consumer Protection

The settlement is a clear and strong message to corporate America about the importance of following antitrust law. It is clear that consumers do have recourse through the law when firms are engaging in illegal price-fixing under the law.

Accountability

The lawsuit holds large chicken processors like Tyson Foods, Pilgrim’s Pride, and others responsible for the practices alleged. It provides real money damages to affected consumers.

Precedent

This settlement sets an important precedent for trying future corporate price-fixing cases and protecting ordinary consumers from corporate collusion.

Expert Tips for Maximizing Your Claim

You can do a few things to make your claim in the chicken class action lawsuit successful.

Keep Records

Keep detailed records of all communication, confirmation numbers, and documentation related to the settlement.

Submit Early

Get your claim early. Don’t wait until the closing week to avoid technical issues or missing the July 31, 2025, deadline.

Seek Help

If you’re having issues or have unique circumstances with the chicken class action lawsuit, you can attempt to contact the settlement administrator or seek advice from a legal professional.

Read Also: What is the e.l.f. Beauty Class Action Lawsuit About?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

The broad legal action that followed the alleged Broiler chicken price-fixing conspiracy is a main milestone in the Antitrust chicken market drama. Hundreds of chicken class actions were filed against big poultry manufacturers on allegations of conspiring to restrict supply and jack up prices for years.

Q1: Is The Broiler Chicken Class Action Lawsuit A Scam?

No way. This. This is indeed a current and actual federal court case, In re Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation. The settlements are actually being administered in a U.S. District Court.

Whereas scams will periodically try to present themselves as real claims, you should solely utilize the official settlement website through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois case docket). Then, you can sign up for your information and avoid any scam websites.

You can verify the strengths of this chicken class action lawsuit on authentic websites like Top Class Actions and ClassAction.org.

Q2: Why Is The Payment Distribution Taking So Long, Even After Settlements?

Payment distribution for a chicken class action lawsuit generally takes a long time to be paid out, even after the settlement has been attained. There are certain significant legal hurdles that must be cleared:

Final Court Approval

The court shall hold a Final Approval Hearing (on June 30, 2025) and order final approval of the settlements.

Appeals Process

After final clearance, there is a time window in which the objections or appeals can be submitted. Payments cannot be made until all the appeals have been cleared, which would take some months to over a year. There has been an appeal filed in June 2024, which would further delay the payouts.

Claims Administration

After the deadline, the Claims Administrator must administer, verify, and compute the proportionate payment for every legitimate claim submitted.

Notably, this mass administration takes a couple of months for a chicken class action lawsuit of this size.

Q3: Are Direct Buyers And Workers In The Poultry Industry Covered In Other Suits?

Yes, the price-fixing claims resulted in a succession of standalone lawsuits. In addition to the End-User Consumer class action, direct actions by Direct Purchaser Plaintiffs has led to a separate settlement fund.

Most significantly, there was a separate large class action lawsuit by workers who labor in poultry plants. They are alleging that the large chicken processors conspired to hold down and fix their wages. This has created a distinct, enormous settlement pool for employees, exposing various layers of impropriety in the industry.

Read Also: Why $100 Million Settlement Fund from Verizon Wireless Class Action Lawsuit is All Over the News!

Reflections On The Broiler Chicken Antitrust Litigation

These cases, involving large defendants such as the Tyson Foods settlement, the Pilgrim’s Pride lawsuit, and the Foster Farms class action, have translated to significant financial settlements.

The total Raw chicken settlement amount is to provide Consumer compensation to chicken lawsuit class members who overpaid for fresh or frozen chicken products.

These settlements amount to more than $200 million for end-user consumers. However, there is no admission of fault by the settling companies. The case has also led to conduct relief in similar but separate cases of wage suppression, proving the scope of the investigation.

Lastly, these legal remedies are a strong reminder of the importance of maintaining competitive markets. They also show the importance of monetary and regulatory sanctions on firms for anti-competitive conduct.

Class period consumers who acquired qualifying purchases should adhere to the existing claim procedures to receive their portion of the settlement amounts.