Frequently Asked Questions

Basic Information

1. Why was the Notice issued?

The Superior Court of Kings County, California, authorized the Notice. You have a right to know about the proposed Settlement of this class action lawsuit, and about all of your options, before the Court decides whether to grant final approval of the Settlement. The Notice explains the lawsuit, your legal rights, what benefits are available, and who can receive them.

The lawsuit is called Daniel Fernandez v. Central Valley Meat Co, Inc., Case No. 25CU0022. It is pending in the Superior Court of Kings County, California. The people that filed this lawsuit are called the “Plaintiffs” (or “Class Representatives”) and the company they sued, Central Valley Meat Co, Inc., is called the “Defendant.”

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2. What is this lawsuit about?

This lawsuit alleges that during a cyberattack on Central Valley's computer systems in May 2024, certain files that contained private information may have been accessed. These files may have contained personal information such as names and Social Security numbers.

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3. What is a class action?

In a class action, one or more individuals sue on behalf of other people with similar claims. These individuals are called the “Plaintiffs” or “Class Representatives.” Together, the people included in the class action are called a “Class” or “Class Members.” One court resolves the lawsuit for all Class Members, except for those who opt out from the settlement. In this Settlement, the Class Representatives are Daniel Fernandez; Bryan Colis; and Armanie Anderson. Everyone included in this Action are the Class Members.

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4. Why is there a settlement?

The Court did not decide whether the Plaintiffs or the Defendant are right. Both sides have agreed to a settlement to avoid the costs and risks of a trial, and to allow the Class Members to receive benefits from the Settlement. The Plaintiffs and their attorneys think the Settlement is best for all Class Members.

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Who is in the Settlement?

5. Who is included in the Settlement?

The Court has defined the Class as: “All citizens of the United States who received a Notice of Data Breach letter from Central Valley Meat Company Inc., on or about December 30, 2024.”

The California Settlement Subclass is defined as: “All citizens of the state of California who received a Notice of Data Breach letter from Central Valley Meat Company Inc., on or about December 30, 2024.”

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6. Are there exceptions to being included?

Yes. Excluded from the Classes are: (1) Central Valley and its officers, directors, and related companies; (2) anyone who validly excludes themselves from the Settlement; (3) attorneys for the parties; (4) the Judge in this case, and the Judge’s family and staff; and (5) anyone who perpetrated the Data Incident.

If you are not sure whether you are a Class Member, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:

Central Valley Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Email: info@CentralValleyDataSettlement.com
Call toll free, 24/7: (833) 386-6583

You may also review the Settlement Agreement here.

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The Settlement Benefits

7. What does the Settlement provide?

All Settlement Class Members may enroll in Identity-Theft Protection and Credit Monitoring and claim one or more of the cash payment options. The benefits are explained in more detail below.

Identity-Theft Protection And Credit Monitoring. All Class Members are eligible to enroll in two (2) years of CyEx Identity Defense Complete. Enrollment codes have been sent to all Class Members with their postcard notice and will be activated after the Settlement becomes effective. If you no longer have your enrollment code, please contact the Settlement Administrator.

This comprehensive service comes with $1 million in identity theft insurance, and includes:

• real time monitoring of your credit file
• dark web scanning
• comprehensive public records monitoring

If anything suspicious happens, you will be able to talk to a fraud resolution agent to help fix any problems.

Cash Benefit Options

Extraordinary Expense Reimbursement. If you incurred actual, documented out-of-pocket losses due to the Data Incident, you can get back up to $5,000.00. The losses must have occurred between May 23, 2024, and September 28, 2026.

This benefit covers out-of-pocket expenses like:

• losses because of identity theft or fraud
• fees for credit reports, credit monitoring, or freezing and unfreezing your credit
• cost to replace your IDs
• postage to contact banks by mail

You need to send proof, like bank statements or receipts, to show how much you spent or lost. You can also send notes or papers you made yourself to explain or support other proof, but those notes or papers alone are not enough to make a valid claim. Your proof or notes should show that your expenses were because of the Data Incident.

You cannot claim a payment for expenses that have already been reimbursed by a third party.

Lost Time Payment. Class Members who spent time responding to the Data Incident may claim up to two hours, at$25.00 per hour, for a maximum of $50.00.

You must have spent the time on tasks related to the Data Incident. Some examples include things like:

• changing your passwords
• investigating suspicious activity in your accounts
• researching the Data Incident

There is a combined cap of $5,000.00 on these cash benefits.

California Statutory Claim Payment. California Settlement Subclass Members may claim a one-time cash payment of $75.00 in addition to all other available cash benefits.

California Settlement Subclass Members will have to provide proof of California residency at the time of the Data Incident. A sworn attestation shall satisfy the proof requirement for California residency.

If you have questions about these benefits, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:

Central Valley Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Email: info@CentralValleyDataSettlement.com
Call toll free, 24/7: (833) 386-6583

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8. What claims am I releasing if I stay in the Class?

If you stay in the class, you won’t be able to be part of any other lawsuit against Central Valley about the issues that this Settlement covers. The “Releases” section of the Settlement Agreement describes the legal claims that you give up if you remain in the Class.

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Submitting a Claim Form for a Settlement Payment

9. How do I submit a claim for a Settlement benefit?

The fastest way to submit your Claim Form is online here. If you prefer, you can download a printable Clam Form here and mail it to the Settlement Administrator at:

Central Valley Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958

You may also contact the Settlement Administrator to request a Claim Form by telephone, toll free, (833) 386-6583, by email info@CentralValleyDataSettlement.com, or by U.S. mail at the address above.

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10. Are there any important Settlement payment deadlines?

If you are submitting a Claim Form online, you must do so by September 28, 2026. If you are submitting a claim by U.S. mail, the completed and signed Claim Form, including supporting documentation, must be postmarked no later than September 28, 2026.

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11. When will the Settlement benefits be issued?

The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing on August 28, 2026, at 8:15 a.m. Pacific Time (see Question 18). If the Court approves the Settlement, there may be appeals. We do not know if appeals will be filed, or how long it will take to resolve them if they are filed.

Payment of valid claims, whether by mailed check or electronic distribution, will be made within 45 days of the Effective Date (“Initial Payment Date”) or within 30 days of the date a claim is approved, whichever is later.

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The Lawyers Representing You

12. Do I have a lawyer in the case?

Yes, the Court has appointed attorneys Daniel Srourian of Srourian Law Firm, P.C. and John Nelson of Milberg, PLLC, to represent you and other Class Members (“Class Counsel”).

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13. Should I get my own lawyer?

You will not be charged for Class Counsel’s services. If you want your own lawyer, you may hire one at your expense.

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14. How will Class Counsel be paid?

Class Counsel will ask the Court to approve $300,000.00 as reasonable attorneys' fees and costs of litigation. This amount will be paid by Central Valley.

Class Counsel will also ask for Service Award payments of $2,000.00 for each of the Class Representatives. Service Award payments will also be paid by Central Valley.

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Excluding Yourself from the Settlement

15. How do I opt out of the Settlement?

If you do not want to be part of the Settlement, you must formally exclude yourself from the Settlement. This is called a Request for Exclusion and is sometimes also called “opting out.” If you opt out, you will not receive Settlement benefits or payment. However, you will keep any rights you may have to sue Central Valley on your own about the legal issues in this case.

If you exclude yourself, you are telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. You will not be eligible to receive any Settlement benefits if you exclude yourself.

The deadline to exclude yourself from the Settlement is August 7, 2026.

To be valid, your Request for Exclusion must have the following information:

1. the name of the Litigation: Daniel Fernandez v. Central Valley Meat Co, Inc., Case No. 25CU0022, pending in the Superior Court of Kings County, California;
2. your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
3. personal signature; and
4. the words “Request for Exclusion” or a clear and similar statement that you do not want to participate in the Settlement.

You may only exclude yourself, not any other person.

Mail your Request for Exclusion to the Settlement Administrator at:

Central Valley Data Incident Settlement
ATTN: Exclusion Request
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958

Your Request for Exclusion must be submitted or postmarked by August 7, 2026.

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Commenting on or Objecting to the Settlement

16. How do I tell the Court if I like or do not like the Settlement?

If you are a Class Member and do not like part or all of the Settlement, you can object to it. Objecting means telling the Court your reasons why you think the Court should not approve the Settlement. The Court will consider your views.

You cannot object if you have excluded yourself from the Settlement (see Question 15).

You must provide the following information for the Court to consider your objection:

1. the name of the Litigation: Daniel Fernandez v. Central Valley Meat Co, Inc., Case No. 25CU0022, pending in the Superior Court of Kings County, California;
2. your full name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address;
3. information that proves that you are a Class Member (such as a notice you have received);
4. a clear description of all the reasons you object; include any legal support, such as documents, you may have for your objection;
5. if you have hired your own lawyer to represent you for this objection, provide their name, bar number, and contact information;
6. whether or not you or your lawyer would like to speak at the Final Approval Hearing; and
7. your signature (or, if you have hired your own lawyer, your lawyer’s signature).

For your objection to be valid, it must meet each of these requirements.

To be considered by the Court, mail or submit your complete written objection to the Settlement Administrator by August 7, 2026. Class Counsel will file objections received by the Settlement Administrator with the Court.

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17. What is the difference between objecting and excluding?

Objecting is telling the Court that you do not like something about the Settlement. You can object to the Settlement only if you do not exclude yourself from the Settlement. Excluding yourself from the Settlement is opting out and stating to the Court that you do not want to be part of the Settlement. If you opt out of the Settlement, you cannot object to it because the Settlement no longer affects you.

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The Court’s Final Approval Hearing

18. When is the Court’s Final Approval Hearing?

The Court will hold a final approval on August 28, 2026, at 8:15 a.m. Pacific Time, in Department 2 of the Superior Court of Kings County, California, at 1640 Kings County Drive, Hanford, CA 93230.

At the Final Approval Hearing, the Court will decide whether to approve the Settlement. The Court will also decide how Class Counsel should be paid, and whether to award Service Award payments to the Class Representatives. The Court will also consider any objections to the Settlement.

If you are a Class Member, you or your lawyer may ask permission to speak at the hearing at your own cost (see Question 16).

The date and time of this hearing may change without further notice. Please check this website for updates.

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19. Do I have to come to the Final Approval Hearing?

No. Class Counsel will answer any questions the Court may have. You may attend at your own expense if you wish, but you do not have to.

If you file an objection, you do not have to come to the Final Approval Hearing to talk about it; the Court will consider it as long as it was filed on time. You may also pay your own lawyer to attend, but you do not have to.

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If I Do Nothing

20. What happens if I do nothing at all?

If you do nothing, you will not receive a benefit from this Settlement.

You will also give up the rights described in Question 8 .

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Getting More Information

21. How do I get more information?

This website and the Notice are a summary of the proposed Settlement. The full Settlement Agreement and other related documents are available on the Important Documents page.

If you have additional questions, you can ask for free help any time by contacting the Settlement Administrator at:

Central Valley Data Incident Settlement
c/o Settlement Administrator
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799-9958
Email: info@CentralValleyDataSettlement.com
Call toll free, 24/7: (833) 386-6583

You can obtain copies of publicly filed documents by visiting the office of the Clerk of the Court, Superior Court of Kings County, California, at 1640 Kings County Drive, Hanford, CA 93230

Do not contact the Court or Clerk of Court regarding this Settlement.

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