Canadian cattle producers have until Dec. 12 to opt out of a national BSE class action suit against the federal government.
If they do not contact Crawford Class Action Services, a claims management firm based in Waterloo, Ont., they will continue as part of the suit, which alleges the government was responsible for allowing BSE into the Canadian cattle herd.
An earlier suit against international feed manufacturer Ridley Inc. was settled for $6 million.
Opting out prevents a cattle producer from sharing in any benefits if the two remaining class action suits are successful.
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“If a person lives in a province other than Quebec, they are part of the class action,” said a spokesperson for Crawford, which was hired by the court as a third party administrator.
She declined to reveal whether any producers had opted out.
The original proposed class action suits in 2005 were filed in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Ontario, with cattle producers in the other six provinces included in the Ontario suit.
The Saskatchewan and Alberta suits were stayed following Ridley’s $6 million settlement.
The Ontario suit is now certified as a class action and includes all Canadian producers who owned cattle on May 20, 2003, when BSE was first reported.
The Quebec class action was previously certified on its own last year, but remains part of Ridley’s $6 million settlement placed in trust.
Any money remaining in the settlement fund at the conclusion of the actions will be divided equally among Canada’s five veterinary colleges.
Advertisements in Canadian farm newspapers provide further details. Also check www.bseclassaction.ca or call Crawford Class Action Services toll free at 866-800-0075.
