One of the most common types of lawsuits that occurs is a class action lawsuit. When participating in a class action lawsuit, you will likely be in position to receive some kind of award or compensation. The type compensation you receive can either be monetary or non-monetary. As well as providing you with an award, you will likely get an even distribution of the total award provided. It also depends on how long the lawsuit takes and whether it is settled in or out of court. However, if you are involved in a class action lawsuit, you will be able to benefit in a way that can improve your financial situation.
The first type of award that you will get in a class action lawsuit is monetary compensation. In a vast majority of cases, this is a sum of money that you will receive. Depending on the amount settled, you will get a share of this money. For example, you are involved in a class action lawsuit that has a total award of $10 million in damages. If there are 200 people filing this suit, then you will receive a lump sum of money of $50,000. As a result, the amount of money you can get in a class action lawsuit can be quite lucrative. Since most class action lawsuits result in monetary awards, you will be in position to get a portion of the money won in the suit.
Another type of award you can win in a class action lawsuit is one that is non-monetary. These non-monetary awards are usually things such as coupons, vouchers and future discounts. Those involved in a class action lawsuit can also receive a non-monetary award of a business or defendant changing their business practices or improving consumer protection measures. While non-monetary awards are less common, they are still quite beneficial. As an example, if a pharmaceutical company loses a lawsuit due to a hazardous drug, the plaintiffs of the suit will be in position to get future discounts on an prescription drugs they get. The company that lost the suit will also be ordered to stop offering the drug which will benefit the population as a whole.
Whenever you are in a class action lawsuit, the amount of awards you are given varies. As stated earlier, it depends on the amount of money that is requested and awarded in the settlement. In a vast majority of cases, the awards given in a class action lawsuit are quite small. Since there can be up to thousands of people suing a company or entity, there is only so much that can be awarded in this type of case. However, a class action lawsuit will provide you with more than just financial rewards. It will also allow you to put an end to unethical business practices and hold certain companies accountable for things they might have done to victimize consumers.
HOW TO JOIN CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT
When getting into a class action lawsuit, you will want to know to join one. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to join a class action lawsuit. One of the first ways to join a class action lawsuit is to voluntarily sign up for one if you receive a letter or postcard from a law firm. You can also contact a law firm that may be suing the company that you want to file a lawsuit against that other people are suing as well. Those looking to join a class action lawsuit can also respond to television ads that are urging people to join if they have been victim of unethical business practices by a particular company. While you have the option to join a class action lawsuit, most individuals are automatically a part of one if they are associated with the defendant of this kind of lawsuit.
If you are looking to get involved in a class action lawsuit, the most common way of doing so is by responding to a postcard you get in the mail. In a number of cases, those who were dealing with a company that engaged in unethical business practices, will be in position to receive compensation during a lawsuit. As a result, you will get written notification of a pending lawsuit against a company you dealt with and then you are informed to contact a number or fill out the form and send it. This is usually one of the first ways to join a class action lawsuit.
Another way to get involved in class action lawsuit is to contact a law firm and file a suit against a company that you are seeking litigation against. At times this company may be involved in a suit with a number of people and therefore you will be in a class action suit. While this is less common, it is still a way to join a class action lawsuit. This is because, if you have a complaint against a company, there is a chance that many other people are filing complaints and therefore want to file a lawsuit against this company. Therefore, contact a law firm on your own can help you join a class action suit.
Those who are looking to join a class action lawsuit can also respond to television ads that talk about a particular company being sued for an unethical business practice or a defective product. If the company happens to be one that you are looking to file a lawsuit against, then this can be a great way of joining a class action lawsuit. In this situation, all you would need to do is call the number and answer a few questions. Then you will likely have to fill out some forms that are sent to you in the mail and then you are officially part of the class action suit.
WHAT IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT
After discussing what you can win in a class action lawsuit and how to join one, many people will want to know what a class action lawsuit is. A class action lawsuit is a civil lawsuit in which a number of people sue a company or other entity. In a vast majority of cases, a class action lawsuit will be against a company that has either sold defective or hazardous products or has engaged in unethical business practices. This type of suit is like most other civil lawsuits in which, one party complains about something and then seeks legal action. The main difference is that the plaintiff is a collective group of people rather than a single person or entity that sues another party.
When a class action lawsuit begins, a number of people file a complaint against a company and then seek legal action. These people contact a law firm that specializes in civil litigation. After preliminary discussions, the law firm decides to sue a company that has victimized these people in some way. After getting the case started, the law firm will then contact everyone else who has dealt with the company and is then offered an opportunity to join the lawsuit. Once everyone is on board for the suit, then the case proceeds to the next step which is to inform the company about a pending lawsuit.
In a vast majority of cases, the company that is being sued agrees to a settlement and then the case is resolved. The company is informed about a pending lawsuit and then decides to arrange a settlement amount. They decide that they will meet the law firm’s and plaintiff’s demands for a compensation amount. The sum of money or other benefits is then awarded immediately. This is usually the end result of a vast majority of class action lawsuits. However, there are some that may go further in the legal process which is to proceed to a trial in order to resolve the case.
When a class action lawsuit goes to trial, the case will be discussed in a courtroom setting. If necessary, a jury will be selected to make a decision on a verdict. During the trial, the plaintiffs and the defendant will have their lawyers argue the facts of the case. They will take turns explaining why they should win the case. For the plaintiffs, they will argue that the company sold defective merchandise or engaged in business practices that hurt them. On the other side, the defense attorneys will argue that the products were not defective and the business practices were ethical. Within a couple of weeks, the jury will make a decision on who wins the case. If the plaintiff wins then they are entitled to receive compensation from the defendant.
At the end of a class action suit, the plaintiff will be awarded either monetary or non-monetary compensation. The monetary compensation will usually be money while the non-monetary will be thing such as vouchers. Either type of compensation will be awarded immediately. If the defense wins the class action suit, then no compensation is awarded to the plaintiff. Instead, the case ends with the defendant leaving without being liable for anything. A trial is usually the final step in a class action lawsuit and once this is over, then compensation is ruled to be awarded or the case is over. However, an appeal can be made from either the plaintiff or the defense depending on who loses the case.
HOW LONG DOES A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT TAKE
When looking to file a class action lawsuit, one of the things that will need to be considered is the length or how long the lawsuit takes. Class action lawsuits vary in duration as it depends on the steps required to resolve the case. In a vast majority of class action cases, the suit can end within a matter of a couple of weeks. However, if the case goes to trial, then it can take up to a few months. In either scenario, a class action lawsuit can be completely resolved within three months. This includes things such as the initial filing of the suit and the decision regarding the settlement.
In the initial stages of a class action lawsuit, a number of people will complain about the practices or products of a particular company. A number of these people likely suffered financial loss or health problems associated with the company. With all of these complaints, either a law firm will offer to represent everyone who complained or an entity such as a government agency or non profit organization will inform the law firm about the company. The law firm will then gather all of the facts and then look to inform everyone associated with the company about an upcoming lawsuit. This usually takes a couple of weeks.
After the law firm gets the information and decides to pursue the lawsuit, it will then file documents and send them to the company informing them that they are being sued. In this process, the company is notified by the law firm about the complaints of a suit and is then requested to respond. In a vast majority of cases, the company will respond and agree to the settlement and its terms. The company will then offer to reward the requested compensation and then the case is officially over. With this process, the duration is usually about two weeks. So if a class action suit ends at this point, then it will be over in one month.
At times the company being sued will not agree to a settlement and refuse to provide compensation. As a result, the law firm representing the plaintiffs will then request to take the case to court. Once the case is in court, it will be discussed in terms of the facts of the case and a potential settlement. If both parties cannot come to a resolution, then the lawsuit will go to trial. During the trial, both sides will argue the case. Within a couple of weeks the case will be resolved either way in terms of outcome for both parties. A class action lawsuit will likely take two months if it reaches the point of going to a civil trial.
WHAT CAN YOU WIN IN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT
When a group of plaintiffs wins the class action lawsuit, they will be entitled to receive some kind of compensation. This compensation includes money, vouchers, discounts and also favorable rulings for consumers in general. In other words, compensation provided in these cases is either monetary or non-monetary. No matter what kind of compensation is awarded, the plaintiff will likely benefit as well as the public at large. As a group of plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit, getting compensation is often the main objective when looking to participate in such litigation. The compensation is usually awarded shortly after the case is over.
The first type of compensation that you can get in a class action lawsuit is monetary compensation. This is money that the plaintiffs receive once they win the case. Whenever plaintiffs win a class action lawsuit, they will be given this monetary compensation evenly among all of the individuals who join the suit. The compensation is usually minimal but it can provide people with something to take advantage of in terms of financial award. Since it is evenly awarded, all of the people who join the case will get a share of the total amount won in the lawsuit. Whenever a class action lawsuit takes place, monetary compensation is the most common thing awarded on a regular basis.
Another type of compensation in class action lawsuits is non-monetary compensation. This entails vouchers and discounts which can help consumers save money on a number of products. For example, if an auto manufacturer builds vehicles with a faulty transmission which results in the death of several people, then the award will be given in the form of a discount. This means that future customers of the auto manufacturer will be in position to get a new vehicle at a lower price. This will allow them to save money and make their next car purchase more affordable. Therefore, non-monetary compensation such as discounts and vouchers is a valuable award from a class action lawsuit.
The final thing that plaintiffs can win in a class action lawsuit is non-monetary compensation such as new regulations and rulings towards the company that was sued. in this situation, a company will be ordered to follow certain regulations as well as every other business in its industry. For example, if a pharmaceutical company sells a hazardous medication, they will then be ordered to either inspect the drug for side effects before distributing it. As a result, non-monetary compensation in the form of new legal regulations can benefit the plaintiffs of a class action lawsuit.