What Are Class Action Lawsuits Regarding Personal Injury?

Class action lawsuits are extremely important when people with the same or similar injuries sue a defendant. Sometimes this is due to an accident like a defective product. Many people have also filed class action lawsuits over consumer fraud, corporate misconduct, and employment practices that breached their rights. A recent federal law known as the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 allowed plaintiffs to bring class action lawsuits in either federal or state courts.

Why Should You File a Class Action Suit? 

When defendants all receive minor injuries over a product or other type of accident, they will usually file a lawsuit on their own. However, when plaintiffs band together and file as a class, the value of the claims will add up and a number of people will be considered in the litigation. Some common examples of these cases include plaintiffs who were prescribed a defective drug or neighborhood residents whose families were injured by a toxic spill.

The process of a class action lawsuit is much more efficient because everybody’s injuries are considered in the same suit. If the defendant wins, the entire group will be dismissed and barred from filing a suit in the future for the same thing. However, if the class of plaintiffs win, then the defendant will be liable for their injuries and the recovery will be divided amongst them. Class action lawsuits are good for, of course, giving every plaintiff a little something even if it isn’t enough to cover every one of their injuries.

When the parties involved in a class action lawsuit decide to settle, the judge must approve the settlement to ensure that it is fair. However, you should still have an attorney on your side through the process to ensure that you are getting exactly what you need. Call us today for more.