You’ve seen the ads on television, in which a law firm is looking for people to join a class action lawsuit.
Frequently aimed at drug companies, or large corporations, these lawsuits are meant to hold companies accountable for bad practices that cause harm to large numbers of people.
You may gloss over these ads, as they don’t resonate with you. But, if you or a loved one have been a victim of such negligence, you should pay more attention.
Could you be eligible to join one of these suits? Here are three things to look for to answer this question.
- Negligence Has Affected Your Life
Take a look at this site for a good example of a class-action suit. Women taking chemo for breast cancer have experienced permanent eye damage due to the side effects of a cancer drug. That drug manufacturer did not provide warning labeling to doctors and patients about this potential eye damage.
Another example is a car company that refused to cover the costs associated with recall repairs due to faulty engines. And a more infamous example is the ongoing investigation of clergy sexual abuse in New York state.
If this kind of neglect applies to you or someone you care for, you can actually begin a class-action suit with a simple complaint form. You must be able to prove you have been harmed, along with at least 40 others in the same situation. A reputable law firm can help you with all the paperwork you would need to file.
- You Receive a Notice to Join a Class Action Lawsuit
You might not realize that you are eligible to be a Class Member of a lawsuit until you find a notice in your mail or email informing you that you are. An administrator, hired by the lawyers in the case, will issue the notice to you.
Don’t toss this document out before reading. Often, joining the suit is easy to do, and you will not actually take any action until the case is settled and you can receive your entitled compensation.
Should you join the suit? It depends.
Many class-action suits do not end up providing a lot of money to the members. Also, if you do join the suit, you give up your right to sue the offending company on your own. Still, the suit needs members to hold offending companies responsible, so staying involved helps both the victims while preventing future victimization.
- Consult a Class-Action Lawsuit Site
If you have not received any notices, and are not sure if you qualify as a Class Member in a class-action suit, consult a class action suit website, where ongoing suits are listed and described. These sites include information on how to join a suit, who to contact for information, and the deadline for joining.
You can also consult your attorney, who can assist you in that research.
Justice and Accountability
When you join a class action lawsuit, you can help obtain justice for others who have been unfairly treated by powerful and large businesses. This helps hold businesses accountable for their policies, and how those policies affect all people.
Curious about the law and legal practices? This site covers the latest on legal issues, so read on for more informative content.