What is a Class Action?
A class action is a representative action wherein one or more plaintiffs actually named in the complaint, along with their counsel pursue a case for themselves and the defined class against one or more defendants. The claims of the “class representatives” must arise from facts or law common to the class members. Most class actions are called “plaintiff class actions;” however, in limited circumstances a class action can be filed against one or more defendants representing a group of defendants, i.e., a “defendant class” action. In federal court, the procedures for certifying a class and the requisite elements for certification are governed by Rule 23, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. For general information about federal courts and how they are structured, you may want to try “Understanding the Federal Courts.” Another website with useful information on the federal court system and its procedures is the Federal Judiciary Homepage at www.uscourts.gov Also, a flow chart indicating the n
A class action is a civil lawsuit where one or more selected representatives, called “class representatives,” sue on behalf of a class of people. The judge will first have to decide whether the claims of the class representatives arise from facts or law common to the class members. This is called “commonality” in legal terms. Most class actions are called “plaintiff class actions,” because in a lawsuit the parties doing the suing are called “plaintiffs.” But in limited circumstances, a class action can be filed against one or more defendants representing a group of defendants, and would be called a “defendant class action.” Class action suits can help people who have been harmed by another party, such as a product manufacturer or developer, a lending or other financial institution or an insurance company. An individual may have been injured or suffered some other damage, but one person’s damage alone may not be great enough to justify the expenses of a lawsuit. The wrongdoer in such ci
In a Class Action, one or more people, called Class Representatives (in this case, Robbie Hillis and Christy Slack), sue on behalf of all other similarly situated people, the “Class,” who have similar claims. If the Court approves class certification, all of these people are called “Class Members.” One Court resolves the issues in the case for all Class Members, except for those who exclude themselves from the Class.
A class action is a legal device in which one or more individuals (class representatives) bring a legal action on behalf of themselves and all others (the class) who have been injured by the same practice. Class actions are often filed against large corporations, such as credit card banks or telephone companies, that use the same wrongful scheme or practice against many customers.
Related Questions
- With the GAO report, congressional hearings, the DOL 408 project and class action suits on revenue sharing with mutual funds, what advantage do ETFs have?
- Is formal action of the board of education required for student-funded programs such as yearbooks, class rings and gifts?
- What is a class action settlement?
