California Class Action Trial Attorneys
What is a Class Action?
A class action is a lawsuit where a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court.
A single person who has been injured may bring a class action on behalf of everyone who has been harmed. Usually, once the action has been filed, many other people who have been injured join the class action.
There are many different kinds of class actions, such as:
- Securities class action by disgruntled shareholders
- Consumer class action (for example, alleging fraud)
- Class action against an employer for employment discrimination
- Class action seeking relief from violations of antitrust law (such as price-fixing conspiracies and monopolizing markets)
- Class action alleging civil rights violations
- Class action based on environmental damage
- Class action involving mass torts (wrongs affecting many people, such as oil spills and defective drugs and medical devices).
How do I know if I am a “Lead Plaintiff?”
A Lead Plaintiff is a representative person or party appointed by the court, who stands in for and acts on behalf of the other class members in the litigation.
To appoint a Lead Plaintiff, a court must determine that the proposed plaintiff's claims are typical of those of other class members, and that this plaintiff will adequately represent the interests of the class as a whole. Under certain circumstances, more than one class member may serve as Lead Plaintiff.
The Lead Plaintiff has control over the course and direction the litigation will take.
When you have been injured in a similar way with many others, your class action attorney must first explore whether a class action already has been filed regarding the incident. Your experienced class action lawyer will then decide whether you are appropriate as a Lead Plaintiff or would be better served as a regular member o f the class.
In either case, your class action attorney will work hard to ensure that your interests are adequately represented in the class action lawsuit. Most class actions settle before trial. This means that you may be entitled to a monetary recovery, in proportion to the amount of your injury as compared with that of the class.
Contact an Experienced Class Action Attorney
If you have been injured and believe you should either join a class action or file a class action lawsuit, seek the advice of an experienced class action attorney. Call our law offices today and seek consultation with one of our skilled class action lawyers to see what your case is worth.