How do I Find Out If I Am Eligible for a Lawsuit Settlement?
Class action lawsuits seek compensation from parties (often large companies) whose products or services injured a large number of people. The people injured form the "class" of the suit. In some lawsuits, the class of plaintiffs may be large enough that it is impossible to personally notify each member of the class about the lawsuit developments (including the decision to settle). If a class-action lawsuit settles and you are part of the class, you may be eligible to receive a portion of the settlement.
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Instructions
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Contact a local attorney or use an Internet website such as lawyersandsettlements.com and ask for information about current class action lawsuits that settled. Note also that you can watch for settlement advertisements on television or look for settlement notices in your mail.
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Check the eligibility requirements listed in the settlement notice. This is typically listed in the section titled "Class Members" or "Eligible Class Members." For example, in a lawsuit settlement against Western Digital Corporation, persons eligible for the settlement were "all persons who purchased in the United States an Aftermarket Western Digital Corporation hard disk drive from March 22, 2001 to February 15, 2006." If you are not part of the class, you are not eligible to receive a settlement.
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Speak to an attorney in your area and ask for a legal opinion as to whether you should settle your case. Bring the settlement notice so the attorney can review it. Note that this is optional. If you are part of the class and wish to settle, continue to the next step.
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Follow the instructions on contacting the necessary party to inform him or her that you want to settle your claim and collect part of the settlement amount. Each settlement notice has information on how to contact the necessary persons to collect your settlement.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit signing a contract image by William Berry from Fotolia.com
