What Types of Cases Can Be Brought as a Class Action Lawsuit?

Learn about the types of cases that can be brought as class action lawsuits and how to start one. Find out what categories are common and what steps you need to take.

What Types of Cases Can Be Brought as a Class Action Lawsuit?

A class action lawsuit is a legal device that enables one or more plaintiffs to file and process a lawsuit on behalf of a larger group. This procedure allows courts to manage cases that would otherwise be unmanageable if each member of the group (people who have experienced the same harm due to the defendant) had to participate in the lawsuit as designated plaintiffs. A class action lawsuit is a large lawsuit filed against a defendant on behalf of a large group of plaintiffs. All plaintiffs in the group must have suffered similar damages that the defendant is allegedly responsible for causing.

Class action lawsuits can be filed in state or federal court, and are only allowed in civil cases where plaintiffs seek monetary remedies. If you believe that you and many others have been similarly harmed, you may be interested in learning how to start a class action lawsuit. The designated members of the group should not have any conflict of interest with other potential members of the group, and lawyers who represent all members of the group should have adequate experience in similar, large scale legal claims. Usually, the best first step is to find a class action lawyer who can provide assistance in this process.

An experienced lawyer can provide information on whether a particular situation could result in a class action lawsuit. Collective privacy lawsuits not only address such violations, but also how such personal information can be used, in accordance with consumer rights laws passed by Congress. Common categories of class action lawsuits include stock stocks, defective products, consumer protection, employment, and some environmental lawsuits. Antitrust class action lawsuits are filed by consumers who believe that they have been forced to pay more for a product due to antitrust violations.

In a class action lawsuit, a person sues a defendant on behalf of a group of people who have been injured in the same way. Class action lawsuits are common in situations where many people can suffer similar harm as a result of wrongful or negligent actions that affected them all. Class action lawsuits are filed by a group of workers who have suffered harm in areas such as discrimination, overtime, benefits, and more. Consumer fraud class action lawsuits address cases in which a consumer is deceived for monetary gain.

Therefore, while it has its origin in fairness, a class action lawsuit is now a useful procedural litigation device that allows a small number of plaintiffs to represent and legally compel an entire group through a single lawsuit.