What is a Class Action Lawsuit?
A class action lawsuit is a complaint filed against a company by a large group of people who have all suffered in some way by the company’s practices, products or services. The complaint of the class action lawsuit is the same for the entire group, and once the complaint has been filed, individuals of the group are unable to file a complaint against the company for the same reason own their own. If the lawsuit ends with a monetary recovery, all members of the class action share in the amount.
Generally, the group that files the class action lawsuit must be large enough that it would be too costly and time consuming for the court to hear the complaints individually. That being said, there is no set number of people that must participate, unless the court specifies a minimum number.
Common reasons for class action lawsuits are discrimination, products that cause injury or are marketed under false pretense and services that cause harm in some way. Most class action lawsuits are filed for monetary damages, though they are also filed for declaratory judgments, (when the court decides the rights or obligation of the parties involved) or for injunctive relief, (to request that a party do or not do certain things).
Once the court deems that a case is allowed to progress as a class action, it will order notice of the lawsuit by practical means. You may see a notice listed in the newspaper, on the internet or through regular mail. There are generally qualification guidelines that will help a person determine if they are able to join a class action. If they are able, they will contact the attorney representing the group who filed the complaint.
The original filers of the class action lawsuit act on behalf of the entire group. Those who join the class action have no real obligation and will be notified if the lawsuit ends in favor of the plaintiffs, and given instructions if there is any thing further they need to do.
If you believe you have the basis for a class action lawsuit, find a class action attorney that specializes in that field so they can help file your claim.