How to Tell if You Likely Qualify for a Class Action Lawsuit

Posted in Class Actions on July 22, 2013

Class Action Defined

Lawsuits involving many people in the same case are called class action lawsuits. One party can sue acting as a representative. Once the class action is certified by the court, only those class members who opt out are excluded from the suit. Class actions allow for the vindication of the rights of a large number of people.

Class action suits are brought when no single person would have enough incentive to bring a suit by themselves. Although class action settlements may be individually small, they can have a significant impact on a company and its reputation as it holds them liable for negligence. Settlements may mandate that the party at fault pay into a fund which will later be distributed to members of the class.

The Difference between Class Action and Mass Tort

A class action lawsuit is not the same as a mass tort lawsuit. Both class action suits and mass tort suits reduce the number of court cases in the system by grouping many together, but mass tort lawsuits involve a wider range of claim types while class action lawsuits all fit into the specifics of the “class” being represented. In mass tort litigation, an attorney, or group of attorneys, represents several parties in individual cases. In class action litigation, several parties are represented, but it is treated as one case.

Do I Qualify?

If you qualify as a class member in a class action lawsuit, you will likely be notified by e-mail or by mail. If you receive a notice, you are already a part of the suit unless you opt out. If you receive no notice but have purchased the product and have a receipt or have a credit card record of using the service, you should contact the law office handling the case to add your name to the registry. Attorneys often create web pages with information you may need.