A ‘Class Action Suit’ consists of a group of individuals who have experienced injuries or damages from the same employer, corporations, organizations or investment firms like the famous class action Enron suit in 2006.
The settlement was for $7.2 billion and administered among those who were involved.
Investors could have employed an attorney on their own but procuring a veteran class action attorney would have much more impact and merit!
These types of civil cases allow multiple individuals to sue an organization for the same reasons.
In general, only one lead plaintiffs’ name will appear on the official documents as he will be representing all those involved.
This is when Rule 23 came about to legally bind all individuals together making up the famous title of the ‘Class Action Suit’ that is used so often today!
How a Class Action Lawsuit Works
Each state will have its own governing laws that the class action suit must follow.
An example would be all affected parties involved receive a notification via mail or in some cases television advertisement.
The tending judge will have the final say on who will represent the plaintiffs’. In most cases it will be the legal counsel who has filed the motion.
The judge will work with the attorney on defining the certification and class in terms of all involved plaintiffs mutual complaints.
If for any reason an individual prefers to pursue their own legal battles, they have the option to opt out via mail or by phone.
Monetary disbursements are decided once the case has been settled. Both the judge and attorney will work together to arrive at a fair and impartial settlement.
The final amounts will be determined by the judge as he has the final word on how the funds are distributed. He will also decide how much counsel will be paid as well as in what form.
Examples of Recent Class Action Lawsuits
Most recently Apple has consented to pay $53 million on a class action suit according to Wire Magazine.
Consumers holding the older iphones such as the very first original up to the iPhone 3GS, along with the first iPod touch to the third generation could be compensated up to $200.00 – $400.00 depending on how many claims are filed.
The issue at hand would involve a white indicator tape that turns red or pink while applied either near the headphones or the charging units.
Apple has a service warranty for individual purchase for the length of one or two years that they will and have not honored if this particular issue has been applied.
More settlement news are forthcoming as this has not gone public as of April, 2003.
A few examples of consumer protection class action laws that are typically violated could fall in arenas like creditors, landlords, car dealerships, banks and debt collectors.
In most states there are consumers’ protection laws that enable individuals to fight for their rights.
These could include the lemon law for purchases that are defective right from the beginning.
For example if an individual purchased a certified automobile and started to experience faulty and constant issues with the vehicle.
This could be a result of many other automobiles that are not properly certified and allowed to be placed on the market for purchase.
This kind of experience could multiply and engaging in a class action suit can help protect each and every individual whose rights have been violated.
Should I Contact an Attorney?
The steps that any skilled legal firm has to offer would be to schedule a consultation to discuss all the necessary information at hand.
Some offer no fees if the case is not won, while others offer payment arrangements.
The purpose of the consultation is to review claims, cut through red tape, advise if the case is worthwhile, receive the best settlements, and offer other means of a settlement like mediation or working with insurance companies to settle out of court.
These practices contain some of the best investigative teams that can research and skillfully assess all aspects of the case.
This article was contributed by Sadaka Associates, class action lawsuit attorneys in New York and New Jersey. Visit them at www.sadakafirm.com.