Kreisman Law Offices Professional Corporation
A settlement of a class-action lawsuit that took more than seven years was recently settled in Madison County, Illinois after Tyson Foods agreed to donate chickens to various food banks around Illinois. The poultry donation will equal a retail value of up to $2.3 million. In addition to the donations to Illinois food banks, Tyson will donate over $1 million worth of products.
The lawsuit against Tyson alleged that the company had inflated the weight of its poultry products between 1997 and 2003. The claimants alleged that Tyson participated in a process of chilling the chickens which resulted in the absorption and retention of water under the poultry’s skin and muscle tissues and thereby increased the bird’s weight.
When questioned about the settlement Tyson spokespersons stated that while Tyson denies the allegations, its aim was to avoid additional costly litigation. That they were able to help feed thousands of Illinois residents in need was an added bonus.
And according to spokespeople at Feeding Illinois, a coalition of food banks that distributes food throughout all of Illinois’s counties, the Tyson donations could not have come at a better time. The need for food at U.S. and Illinois food banks has increased almost 20%.
Kreisman Law Offices has been handling Illinois product liability cases for over 30 years, serving areas in and around Cook County including Calumet City, Oak Park, Downers Grove, and Arlington Heights.