When a corporation makes a mistake, or when an individual makes a big mistake, word gets out fast and media coverage starts to spread the story both far and wide. Although this might seem like global gossip to some, it is actually a critically important aspect of class actions – sometimes referred to as class action lawsuits or mass torts. By making people across the country aware of a serious issue that could have or still be negatively affecting their lives, enough of them can band together to try to seek justice or restitution. Usually, the go-to course of action is to file a class action lawsuit.
In many cases, a class action deals with personal injuries that should have been preventable yet hurt dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people all the same. A defective product – like a faulty airbag or dangerous pharmaceutical drug, for example – are common grounds for class actions. Similarly, mass torts involve injury but usually after a catastrophic accident, such as a plane crash.
I think I could have grounds for a class action. What do I do?
If the issue is quite serious, it is highly likely that someone else has already noticed it and started a lawsuit. By checking media listings and news websites, you might be able to find a preexisting class action that pertains to your situation and follow instructions from there to “opt in.” Once you are officially part of the suing class, you will benefit from any outcomes of the case; it will be as if you won without actually going to court yourself. If the result involves some sort of financial recovery, the presiding judge will have to create a distribution plan that fairly represents and benefits all members of the class.
However, if you opt into the class action lawsuit and the attorney representing your class – also known as a lead plaintiff – fails to win any compensation or beneficial settlement, you cannot sue the same group again for the same reasons.
Why do people file class actions?
As class action lawsuits and mass torts compile everyone with an identical, or at least closely similar, claim together, the benefits of the process are incredible. Whereas it would be impossible for the defendant to work through hundreds and thousands of individual cases, and therefore nearly every plaintiff would never get their chance in court, class actions push them all through at once, saving everyone time. Along that vein, they also save uncountable amounts of money through vastly reduced court fees.
The trick to a successful class action, though, is finding a successful class action lawyer. The sheer scale of the job is enough to make many attorneys crack under pressure, make mistakes, or flat-out refuse to take the case. At Sacks Weston LLC, we are proud to say that we are some of the most reputable class action lawyers in the country, if not the world, and can handle even the largest challenges. Our track record of winning case results includes verdicts that rewarded our clients billions of dollars and many more settlements ranging in the hundreds of millions.
If you want to file a class action lawsuit, you need to start with a law firm that can carry the weight of it on their shoulders and succeed. Contact Sacks Weston LLC today.
