What is a class action lawsuit example?

Asked by: Friedrich O'Reilly  |  Last update: September 5, 2022
Score: 4.9/5 (56 votes)

A common example is pharmaceutical fraud that results in the manufacture and distribution of a harmful drug that is used by many patients. Other injury examples include mass disasters such as social work or nursing home negligence, human rights violations, sexual abuse and sports litigation.

What makes something a class action lawsuit?

A class action is a legal proceeding in which one or several plaintiffs bring a lawsuit on behalf of a larger group, known as the class. The judgment or settlement agreed to arise from the suit covers all members of the group or class, where penalties paid by the defendant are divvied up among class members.

What are the different types of class actions?

What are the types of Class Actions?
  • Anti-Trust. ...
  • Employment. ...
  • Consumer Protection. ...
  • Defective products (products liability). ...
  • Environmental. ...
  • Medical devices or pharmaceutical personal injury. ...
  • Securities and investor fraud. ...
  • Bank Fraud.

What is the best known type of class action lawsuit?

Consumer Fraud

This is the most common type of class action lawsuit and includes a wide range of fraudulent business practices, including: Defective products.

What is the benefit of a class action lawsuit?

Class action lawsuits provide harmed people with many benefits, such as allowing large groups of similarly affected people to come together and file a lawsuit against the same company. This provides strength in numbers for all of the people harmed, typically by large corporations, or businesses that have a vast reach.

The Basics of Class Action Lawsuits

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Is it good to join a class action lawsuit?

In most cases, it is a good idea to join the class action if you believe you suffered injuries or financial losses caused by the defendant. We do recommend you give us a call and discuss your situation with one of our class action lawsuit attorneys before you make a decision, however.

Is a class action lawsuit worth it?

Class Action Lawsuits give you better odds of a settlement

When many plaintiffs with the same issue combine together to form a class, each person has a better chance of recovering compensation when they may not have been able to do as individuals.

What is the biggest lawsuit ever won?

The Largest Settlements and Verdicts in U.S. History, and Why...
  • Tobacco Settlement — $206 Billion. ...
  • BP Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill — $20 Billion. ...
  • Volkswagen Emissions Scandal — $14.7 Billion. ...
  • General Motors Auto Defect Case — $4.9 Billion. ...
  • Talcum Powder Ovarian Cancer Case — $4.69 Billion.

What is the highest paid class action lawsuit?

Contents hide
  • 1.1 1. Tobacco settlements for $206 billion.
  • 1.2 2. BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill $20 billion.
  • 1.3 3. Volkswagen emissions scandal $14.7 billion.
  • 1.4 4. Enron securities fraud $7.2 billion.
  • 1.5 5. WorldCom accounting scandal $6.1 billion.
  • 1.6 6. Fen-Phen diet drugs $3.8 billion.
  • 1.7 7. ...
  • 1.8 8.

When can a class action suit be filed?

A class action suit can be filed against following persons to claim damages or compensation or demand any other suitable action from or against: the company or its directors for any fraudulent, unlawful or wrongful act or omission.

What is the purpose of class actions?

Class actions are most common where the plaintiffs allege that a large number of people have been injured by the same defendants in the same way. Instead of each injured person bringing his or her own separate lawsuit, the class action allows a court to resolve in a single proceeding the claims of all class members.

What is the meaning class action?

/ˌklæs ˈæk.ʃən/ a legal action (= a case that is decided in a law court) that is organized by a group of people who all have the same legal problem: Plaintiffs' lawyers have tried to get the courts to combine all the potential suits into a single class action. [ before noun ] a class-action lawsuit.

How do you beat a class action lawsuit?

A Checklist for Defending Class Actions: 20 Best-Practice Tips
  1. Get the facts—all of them. ...
  2. Grasp the legal issues. ...
  3. Know the players. ...
  4. Hire experts. ...
  5. Ensure that outside counsel understand the business. ...
  6. Develop a litigation plan with the end in mind. ...
  7. Define what “victory” means. ...
  8. Get a handle on the damages.

What is the difference between a lawsuit and a class action lawsuit?

Description. In a typical class action, a plaintiff sues a defendant or a number of defendants on behalf of a group, or class, of absent parties. This differs from a traditional lawsuit, where one party sues another party, and all of the parties are present in court.

What are the pros and cons of a class action suit?

Pros And Cons Of Class Action Lawsuit
  • More Strength as a Group. ...
  • Your Lawsuit Charges are Significantly Less. ...
  • Advantageous to the Judicial System. ...
  • Guaranteed Settlements. ...
  • Very Little Agency in the Matter. ...
  • Class Action Lawsuits Take a Very Long Time to Settle. ...
  • Class Action Lawsuits Cannot Be Reapplied To.

Are you automatically included in a class action lawsuit?

Most class actions are opt-out lawsuits. This means that class members (those whose legal interests are represented by the suit) are automatically included in the lawsuit unless they choose to opt-out, or decline to participate, in the case. Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.

What happens if you lose a class action?

If you lose a class-action lawsuit, you will not receive any compensation for the injuries that you have suffered. By joining the class-action, you also surrender your right to sue the defendant individually.

Which company has the biggest lawsuit in history?

$16.65 billion

Bank of America has been the subject of several major lawsuits owing to its involvement in the 2008 financial crash. At the time this settlement was announced, in 2014, it was the largest federal settlement with a single company in American history.

Are class action settlements taxable?

Oftentimes, the nature of a class action suit determines if the lawsuit settlement can be taxable. Lawsuit settlement proceeds are taxable in situations where the lawsuit is not involved with physical harm, discrimination of any kind, loss of income, or devaluation of an investment.

Why would you opt out of a class action lawsuit?

If your losses were significantly more than other members of the class. If the facts of your case were different and you are concerned that the class action might not address all your interests. If you lack confidence in the attorneys or lead plaintiffs in the case.

Can you receive money from a class action lawsuit?

A class action is a court case where one person makes a request to the court on behalf of everyone who had the same problem. They are called “members” of the class. If the person wins the case, all members can get an amount of money or other compensation. They don't have to go to court themselves.

How are class action settlements divided?

Settlement monies are then divided on a pro rata basis between claimants in accordance with a settlement scheme approved by the court. Class actions provide a mechanism by which victims of wrongdoing or negligence can stand their ground against the vastly superior resources of large corporations or governments.

Who are the plaintiffs in a class action?

In a class-action lawsuit, a class representative plaintiff, or class rep is the plaintiff in the case. Often a wronged or injured person will contact a law firm about a case.

Who makes money in a class-action lawsuit?

Who Pays Lawyers for a Class Action Lawsuit? Lawyers are paid directly from the recovery secured from a settlement or verdict. In other words, no one is directly responsible for paying lawyers during a class action. Instead, payment is collected by legal teams from the results they secure.