Class action lawsuits are civil lawsuits brought by one or more people on behalf of themselves and others who are similarly situated, where all defendants have similar claims against a common defendant.

How do I become a part of a class action suit?

Class actions usually come about when the court certifies that there are too many plaintiffs for them all to be named as parties in a lawsuit. Anyone interested in starting a class action lawsuit should start by speaking to a lawyer and should have a group of people that were similarly harmed by the same person or entity.

Examples of groups beginning class action suit include a group of employees that were uniformly wronged by their employer or a group of people that were harmed by the same product. Class action suits are complicated cases with various procedures, and anyone interesting in starting or joining a class action lawsuit should speak to a qualified attorney.

What is the purpose of class action lawsuits?

Class action lawsuits were created to simplify the legal process in cases where a large number of people have filed lawsuits against the same person, company, or entity. Class-action suits allow a single judgment to be made for a single case instead of individually pursuing judgement for dozens or even hundreds of similar cases. This action saves a considerable amount of time and money and ensures that every plaintiff receives the same judgment.

What are some common types of class action suits?

Many class action suits are employment-related and may involve such issues as wage claims, discrimination, or mandated off-the-clock work. Other types of suits may stem from environmental disasters like oil and chemical spills, which can affect large numbers of people by exposing them to toxic substances or by contaminating their water supply, and defective or harmful products or medical devices that have inflicted harm on potentially thousands of consumers.