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Frequently Asked Questions

Select a topic below:

  1. Why did I get the notice package in the mail or by email?
  2. What is this class action lawsuit about?
  3. Who can participate in this litigation?
  4. What are the Recalled Food Products?
  5. I purchased recalled product(s) but never consumed the food, can I collect money?
  6. How many claim forms do we submit per household?
  7. I consumed a recalled product but didn't go see a doctor when I developed physical symptoms consistent with Listeriosis. Can I still claim?
  8. I have medical documentation but it is not contemporaneous, can I still claim?
  9. What kind of medical documentation must be provided in order to claim for psychological harm?
  10. I didn't keep the proof or purchase, can I still claim?
  11. Key Dates?
  12. How are payments determined?
  13. Why is Supporting Documentation required by the Claims Administrator?
  14. Incomplete claim submission: reasons and rules?
  15. What happens if I do nothing at all?
  16. About the Claims Administrator?


Why did I get the notice package in the mail or by email?

You received a notice because you identified yourself as a potential Class Member to a law firm or Maple Leaf Foods or because you requested a copy of the Notice either through a toll-free number or through this Settlement website.

What is this class action lawsuit about?

The lawsuits claim that the Defendants handled, distributed supplied, manufactured and/or sold the Recalled Products that may have contained the bacteria listeria monocytogenes. The Lawsuits also allege that consumers who ate the Recalled Products may have become ill and/or died. By agreeing to the Settlement, the Defendants make no admission as to the truth of these allegations, and they deny any wrongdoing.

Who can participate in this litigation?

You are a Class Member if you purchased and/or consumed the Recalled Products. You are also a Class Member if a family member purchased or consumed the Recalled Products.

Class Members who purchased but did not consume Recalled Products will not be eligible to receive compensation unless they are eligible for compensation as family members, but will be bound by the terms of the Settlement, including the release, covenant not to sue, and dismissal with prejudice described below.

If the Lead Actions are certified and the Settlement is approved by the Courts and you do not Opt-Out, whether or not you submit a Claim Form, and whether or not your claim is approved for payment, you will be deemed to have completely and unconditionally released, forever discharged, and acquitted the Defendants, and their respective parents, affiliates, associates, and subsidiaries together with their past and present and future officers, directors and employees, shareholders, representatives, partners, attorneys, insurers, reinsurers, subrogees and assigns (the "Releasees") from any and all of the settled claims. If you do not Opt-Out, you will be forever barred and enjoined from commencing, instituting or prosecuting any action, litigation, investigation or other proceeding in any Court of law or equity, arbitration, tribunal, proceeding, governmental forum, administrative forum or any other forum, directly, representatively or derivatively, asserting against the Releasees any claims that relate to or constitute any claims or actions covered by the Settlement.

If you are a Class Member and do not want to be prevented from bringing, continuing, or being a part of such a lawsuit, you must Opt-Out.

Persons and corporations who purchased Recalled Products for resale purposes are NOT Class Members and will not be bound by the Settlement.

I purchased recalled product(s) but never consumed the food, can I collect money?

Persons who purchased but did not consume Recalled Products will not be eligible to receive compensation unless they are eligible for compensation as family members of other persons who in fact consumed Recalled Product(s). Persons who purchased but did not consume Recalled Product(s) are equally bound by the terms of the Settlement, including the release, covenant not to sue, and dismissal with prejudice, unless they opt-out.

How many claim forms do we submit per household?

Complete one (1) Claim Form per individual. If there are four (4) people living in the household and they each consumed Recalled Product(s), four (4) separate Claim Forms must be completed and returned to the Claims Administrator.

I consumed a recalled product but didn't go see a doctor when I developed physical symptoms consistent with Listeriosis. Can I still claim?

Yes. Level 1 of the Compensation Grid is the only level that does not require medical evidence to support a claim.

I have medical documentation but it is not contemporaneous, can I still claim?

Medical documentation in support of any claim must confirm that claimant sought medical attention at same the time the physical symptoms occurred.

What kind of medical documentation must be provided in order to claim for psychological harm?

Claimants seeking to claim at Levels 9 through 12 must provide a clinical or medical note from the treating psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist or mental health counsellor, which confirms that the claimant suffered psychological trauma (anxiety) with an onset after August 17th 2008, due to the claimant's consumption of Recalled Product(s).

I didn't keep the proof or purchase, can I still claim?

Yes. When signing the Claim Form, claimants are signing a Declaration under oath attesting that all the answers provided are truthful and correct. A declaration about purchasing Recalled Product(s) is included in the Claim Form at section 4A. Such declaration at 4A is acceptable when the proof of purchase is not available.

Key Dates

Short Form Notice of Proposed Certification and Settlement first published on January 31, 2009.

Register your objection to the Settlement no later than March 2, 2009.

Register to object to the Settlement in person by speaking to the Courts no later than March 2, 2009.

In the Ontario Action, the date for the Settlement Approval hearing is scheduled for March 5, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, 361 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario.

In the Saskatchewan Action, the date for the Settlement Approval hearing is scheduled for March 10, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at the Court of Queen's Bench of Saskatchewan, 2425 Victoria Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan.

In the Québec Action, the date for the Settlement Approval hearing is scheduled for March 20 at 9:00 a.m. at the Superior Court of Québec, 1 Notre-Dame East, Room 2.08, Montréal, Québec.

Short Form Notice of Settlement Approval first published on Saturday May 9, 2009.

Claim Registration Start Date: February 2, 2009

You will be able to Opt-Out from the settlement 90 days from the publication of the Notice of Certification: Opt-Outs must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Friday August 7, 2009.

Claim Registration Deadline: Claims must be received by the Claims Administrator no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time November 2, 2009. The total Claim Period is 210 days.

Why is Supporting Documentation Required by the Claims Administrator?

To qualify for payment under the Settlement, you must deliver Supporting Documentation to verify that you or the person you represent qualifies as a Class Member under the terms of the Settlement Agreement and Compensation Grid.

The Court requires statutory declarations that prove that the information provided on Claim Forms is accurate. Otherwise, the Claims Administrator cannot validate claims.

How to submit Supporting Documentation to the Claims Administrator?

Include all Supporting Documentation with your Claim Form.

Should you need to provide additional documentation, clearly include the following when you submit your Supporting Documentation:

Full name(s) and address(es) recorded on your Claim Form of the person(s) associated with the Supporting Documentation.

Send a clear copy of the Supporting Documentation by mail, fax or by email (pdf) to the Claims Administrator:

Bruneau Group Inc.
P.O. Box 20187 - 390 Rideau Street
Ottawa ON K1N 9P4
Attention: Maple Leaf Foods Class Action Settlement
Tel.: 1-800-801-2521
Fax: 613-562-0321
Email: info@mapleleafclaim.com

If you fail to deliver the above described Supporting Documentation within 60 days of the date you first become aware of the need to delivered Supporting Documentation, your claim will be rejected and you will get a letter or email confirming the rejection.

Incomplete Claim Submission

In the event that you register a claim and we determine that the information provided is incomplete or does not meet the approval criteria outlined in the Court approved Settlement Agreement and/or Compensation Grid, you will be notified of the problem by regular mail or email.

Deficiencies in your claim must be remedied within 60 days of the date you first receive notice of the problem from the Claims Administrator. Once you remedy the problem(s), we will proceed with processing your claim.

Examples of Common Problems

  1. Unsigned Claim Form
  2. Incomplete Claim Form or incomplete answers to questions on the Claim Form
  3. "Claimant Level" is not properly identified
  4. Insufficient or no Supporting Documentation.

What is Acceptable Supporting Documentation?

The required Supporting Documentation is outlined for each compensation level in the Compensation Grid.

If you fail to remedy any problem(s) within 60 days of the date you first become aware of the problem as indicated by the Claims Administrator, your claim will be rejected and you will get a letter or email confirming the rejection.

What happens if I do nothing?

It is entirely your decision to do nothing, an acceptable option for some people. However, if you do nothing, you will receive no money from this Settlement and you will not be entitled to start, continue, or be part of any other lawsuit against the Defendants and other Released Parties about the Settled Claims in this case, ever again.

About the Class Action Claims Administrator

The independent Court appointed Claims Administrator is a Canadian; Ottawa based company called Bruneau Group Inc. We operate as an independent boutique firm that delivers reliable, neutral legal consulting and class action settlement administration services across Canada. Our bilingual services draw from our expertise in law, management, mediation and information technology.


PAYMENTS: once ALL claims, arbitrations and appeals have been completed, the Administrator must report to the Courts on the proposed total amounts payable to ALL approved claimants and no money shall be paid by cheque to anyone until Court approval.

PROCESSING: claims are still being processed. If you successfully filed a claim, you will receive a Decision Letter from the Administrator by regular mail in the summer of 2010.

TIMING: higher level claims require medical evidence and some hospitals have been slow to deliver what is needed. Since the Courts (SK, ON, QC) must approve all payments, we are unable to advise with certainty about when cheques will be mailed. We are presently aiming for early 2011.

The deadline for making a claim expired on November 2, 2009. If you failed to successfully make a claim before this date, payment cannot be made to you or any person that you represent no exceptions.