How to File Class-Action Lawsuits

A class action lawsuit is typically filed against a business.

A class action lawsuit usually occurs when a group of people decide they have been legally harmed by a business or product. The people that have been harmed, the plaintiffs, seek damages for the wrongdoing. The process can be complicated, so if you want to begin a class action lawsuit you would be well advised to hire an attorney.

Instructions

The Process:

1. Find an attorney. Inform the lawyer of your problem with a product or business and your desire to file a lawsuit against them.

2. Locate other affected people. Have your lawyer search for other people hurt by the same product or business.

3. File the lawsuit. The lawsuit explains who the action is against and why. It also names the plaintiffs.

4. See if a judge determines the lawsuit to be valid. The judge assigned to the case will look at each individual within the class of people filing the lawsuit and decide if everyone truly has been legally harmed by the product or business. This is done in order to certify whether or not the lawsuit really is a class-action.

5. Await the results of a trial. If the plaintiffs win the case, damages will be awarded to everyone in the class. Usually, those who have experienced more harm receive more money than the others in the class who experienced less harm. (See Reference 1)

Tips & Warnings

• Sometimes class action lawsuits are more trouble than they are worth when it is an especially large class action. Any damages the business pays will be split up among everyone in the class which may end up being a really small amount.

References

• Personal Injury Lawyer: Class Action Definition
• Personal Injury Lawyer: How to File a Class Action Lawsuit