What is a Class Action?
A class action is a type of lawsuit in which one or several persons sue on behalf of a larger group of persons. While the subject matter of class action lawsuits can vary widely, two factors are almost always present for every class action:
- the issues in dispute are common to all members of the class, and
- the persons affected are so numerous as to make it impracticable to bring them all before the court.
Depending upon the type of class action, resolution of the lawsuit binds all members of the class once notice is given and the case is certified by the Court. Many of our cases begin as the result of complaints by one or a handful of persons. If you have been harmed by a fraud, defective product, illegal conduct, a deceptive practice, or you are an employee entitled to wages and/or benefits, please feel free to contact us right away.
What Are Some Examples of Class Actions?
Examples of class action lawsuits include claims by:
- employees subjected to a pattern or practice of racial, age or gender discrimination by their corporate employer;
- employees who have been denied wages and/or benefits by their employer;
- homeowners and residents affected by a toxic spill in their neighborhood;
- consumers who purchased the same defective product or were harmed by unfair business practices committed by a corporation;
- patients prescribed a medicine with undisclosed, dangerous side-effects;
- merchants and consumers who pay inflated prices for products caused by the anti-competitive activities of large corporations; and
- investors who are victimized by fraud committed in connection with the purchase or sale of stocks and other securities.
What Are The Reasons For Class Actions?
Class action lawsuits are designed to advance several important public policy goals. A class action is often the sole means of enabling persons, to remedy injustices committed by powerful, multi-million dollar corporations and institutions.
In other situations, each person within a large group may have suffered only limited damages and the cost of individual lawsuits would be far greater than the value of each claim. The total damages, however, to the class could be quite large. The wrongdoer would have the incentive to continue its fraudulent conduct but for a class action.