What would be the best definition of a class action lawsuit?
What would be the best definition of a class action lawsuit?
A “class action” lawsuit is one in which a group of people with the same or similar injuries caused by the same product or action sue the defendant as a group. Other names for lawsuits brought by a number of people who suffered similar harm or losses are “mass tort litigation” and “multi-district litigation” (“MDL”).
What justifies a class action lawsuit?
Federal Rule of Civil Procedure, Rule 23(a) provides that an action requires four conditions to qualify for class treatment: (i) the class must be so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable, (ii) there must be questions or law or fact common to the class, (iii) the claims of the representative parties …
What is the largest class action lawsuit in history?
1) Big Tobacco: $206 Billion (1998) The agreement, which remains the largest class-action settlement in U.S. history, required tobacco companies to pay out more than $206 billion to the included states over 25 years, plus another $9 billion per year in perpetuity.
Why is it called class action?
The antecedent of the class action was what modern observers call “group litigation,” which appears to have been quite common in medieval England from about 1200 onward. These lawsuits involved groups of people either suing or being sued in actions at common law.
What is a class action lawsuit?
A class action lawsuit is one person or a small group of people suing on behalf of a larger group of people who have all suffered the same injury. These injuries can be physical or financial, ranging from concussions to money lost on products that were defective or falsely advertised. When someone is injured,…
Who is the lead plaintiff in a class action lawsuit?
In fact, a single person stepping forward to represent the many who have been harmed in the same way by the same defendant, is all it takes. The person initiating such a lawsuit is referred to as the “lead plaintiff,” or “class representative,” on the court documents, and is the person who gets the legal ball rolling.
Which states have the most class action lawsuits filed?
Class action lawsuits are found in every state, but states like California, New York, Florida, New Jersey and Texas tend to have the highest number of class action complaints filed in America.
What is a multi-party class action?
A class action is the most well-known type of multi-party litigation in the U.S. federal court system, but there are other ways in which large groups of people can bring cases against one or a few defendants.