Class Actions
A class action is a lawsuit filed by one or more persons on behalf of themselves and others who are in the same class. All the members of the class must share a common concern. The purpose of class action lawsuits is to allow the common man with few resources to take on a large company or other group with plentiful resources and give those in the class a chance to win.
Class action lawsuits also save courts and individuals time and money by consolidating complaints of the persons in the class and avoiding the necessity of numerous law suits all being brought for the same reason.
Class Action Requirements
To be certified as a class action lawsuit, several requirements must be met:
- Those bringing the lawsuit have a legal claim.
- There are a significant number of plaintiffs who have the same complaint.
- The lead plaintiff, or the person bringing the lawsuit, is typical of the other class members and has the ability to adequately represent the class.
Class actions have been a way for citizens to right some social wrongs. For example, the 1954 decision of Brown vs. Board of Education was a class action lawsuit and went a long way towards eliminating segregation in our public schools.
Other famous class action lawsuits include the lawsuit settled in 1984 that was brought by veterans of the war in Vietnam who sued the manufacturer of Agent Orange for the health problems it caused, or a suit settled in 1997 against large tobacco firms for the dangerous effects of passive cigarette smoke.
Learn More about Class Actions
Class action attorneys associated with Flood Law Group have successfully represented plaintiffs in class action lawsuits. We can answer any questions you may have and let you know if this type of lawsuit is right for your circumstances.
