Posted: June 4, 2008, 5 a.m. EDT
The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey gave preliminary approval for a $24 million settlement agreement regarding the 2007 massive pet food recall.
Canada-based Menu Foods received more than 100 class action lawsuits after dogs and cats became ill or died as a result of eating the tainted food. The contaminants were discovered to be melamine and cyanuric acid, which were in ingredients from China that went into pet food in the United States.
The agreement creates a settlement fund that allows pet owners to potentially recover up to 100 percent of economic damages, subject to certain limitations.
The fund, administered by a neutral claims administrator, will be available to persons in the United States and Canada who purchased or obtained, or whose pets used or consumed, recalled pet food.
A motion for final approval has been scheduled for Oct. 14.
Those with potential claims can contact the claims administrator:
Re: Pet Food Products Liability Litigation
Claims Administrator
c/o Heffler, Radetich & Saitta LLP
P.O. Box 890
Philadelphia, PA 19105-0890
800-392-7785
A claims administration website, www.petfoodsettlement.com, is scheduled to be live by June 16.
To read more about the pet food recall, click here.