As a consumer, you often trust the products you use to work in an intended manner, contain the intended ingredients and pose little threat to you. Unfortunately, certain errors in manufacturing or other issues could result in you or a loved one suffering serious injuries or illness as a result of using the product. In such cases, you may also have concerns for the well-being of others as the problem with the product could easily affect other people, and you may also wonder whether the possibility exists for gaining compensation.
When an issue such as product liability comes about, you could act as part of a class action lawsuit. This type of legal action encompasses a form of litigation that could address many individuals at once.
Practicality
When you have a claim that many other parties may also have, a certain impracticality comes along with moving through the legal process for each case. Therefore, the legal system often utilizes class action lawsuits to address many claims in one proceeding. Of course, rather than each person getting his or her own ruling, the judge decides one ruling that applies to everyone covered under the class action suit.
Outcomes
If the individual, company or other entities against which the claim is filed wins the case, the judge dismisses the suit. As a result, you and the other people acting as part of the class cannot pursue another class action or individual litigation for the same issue. If the judge rules in favor of you and the rest of your class, the compensation awarded gets divided between each of the plaintiffs.
Benefits
As you may know, pursuing an individual lawsuit can prove costly with the necessary court fees. However, class action litigation can reduce those costs due to covering multiple claims at once. Additionally, if your case proves successful, each member of the class receives some payment, though it may not cover the entirety of the damages suffered.
Filing a claim
To move forward with a class action lawsuit, you may find yourself in need of assistance. An attorney experienced in class action suits can provide useful information relating to this type of legal process. With the guidance of a legal professional, you may better understand your options, the likelihood of recovering damages and how acting as part of class action litigation could prove more beneficial than an individual claim.
