*What is a Class Action Lawsuit?*
Simply put, a class-action lawsuit is a lawsuit brought by one or several individuals on behalf of a larger group of affected people. When something happens that violates the rights of a group of people, generally by a large corporation. For example, an individual is fired from a company based on what they believe to be illegal grounds, such as religion, gender or sexual orientation, a suit is brought against the company on behalf of the individual, as well as other employees who also experienced an illegal termination for the same illegal reasons. When the rights of a group are violated in this manner, a class action lawsuit can be filed by one party on behalf of the entire affected class of people.
*What are the Benefits of a Class Action Lawsuit?*
When a class action lawsuit is filed and you are tasked with decided whether or not you should take part in the filing, there are several reasons why a class action lawsuit could benefit you. First, taking legal action against a corporation or large entity is expensive and not every affected person can afford to take legal action on their own. When you choose to join a class action suit, you are not responsible for the legal costs associated with the lawsuit. If the suit is successful, the attorneys representing the class are remunerated from the overall award amount once the lawsuit concludes. In a successful class action lawsuit, typically the amount of financial compensation each participant receives is not enough to make suing on an individual basis worth the cost in time or money, thus making the class action route a more viable option. In this manner, each class member receives some reward and the overall amount is sufficient to penalize the corporation or entity who is at fault. The only thing a class member gives up by signing on to a class-action lawsuit is the right to later sue the corporation on their own.
*How Long Does a Class Action Lawsuit Take to Resolve?*
Generally speaking, a class action lawsuit takes between two and three years from start to conclusion, although there are exceptions, such as when a corporation or entity seeks to resolve a matter quickly if the allegations against them are inflammatory, embarrassing, or there is no doubt as to their fault in the matter. In those instances, a case may be concluded within a few months. At the other extreme, if a company disagrees with a judge’s ruling against them, they can appeal the judgement, thus pushing resolution of the suit well past two years.
In conclusion, there are significant benefits to joining a class action lawsuit when you are victimized by a large corporation. It takes patience, as it is not a quick process, but it can be the easiest way to assure that justice is served.
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