About 35 people packed the courtroom of Cook County Circuit Court Judge Richard Siebel, who is handling the $10 million settlement that McDonald’s agreed to in order to settle lawsuits related to claims that its french fries were not vegetarian as the company claimed.
Many of the people who originally brought the lawsuits are angry over the proposed distribution of the $10 million settlement. Cherie Traverse of Downers Grove, Ill., is one such plaintiff. She claims she was not told about the settlement until after plaintiffs attorneys had already reached an agreement with McDonald’s. Those attorneys claim that Travis dropped them, while Travis claims the lawyers dropped her from the lawsuit.
The Chicago Sun-Times quoted EarthSave chairman Kevin Read as saying that, “If this list [of individuals and groups to receive the settlement money] is approved, a gross injustice will have been done.”
Judge Siebel said that he would rule on the list of groups that would receive money from the settlement agreement on Feb. 25.
Source:
Vegetarians sink their teeth into settlement. Sandra Guy, Chicago Sun-Times, January 28, 2003.