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Are You A Member Of A Class Action?

The term "class action" lawsuit may sound familiar to many, but few really understand what it means or express any interest in it until they become personally involved. Often, notification may come by email or letter, or you may catch an advertisement on television soliciting potential victims to contact a law firm. While this is not necessarily the type of class where being a member is desirable, for those who have been injured by negligence a class action lawsuit could serve a valuable purpose. Read on for a better understanding of this legal form of filing suit.

Who are the members of the class? In this instance, anyone who was affected by a defective, fraudulent or unfair product or service can be part of a class. Classes often involve large groups of people, sometimes numbering in the thousands. You should understand, however, that if you agree to become a member of the class, you are also agreeing to accept the settlement and you will be prohibited from filing suit for the same matter on your own in the future.

Why do class action lawsuits exist? There are several benefits for concerned parties who participate in gathering a number of smaller lawsuits into one large suit:

1. Money and Time: All courts cases take time and court costs can eat up some of the settlement winnings, so this method of linking multiple victims against a single defendant can help thousands of people get some financial damages all at the same time, clearing the courts for more cases.

2. Better Legal Resources: When you use a single lawyer or law firm to litigate your personal injury claim, you are limited by that attorney's resources, unless you are very wealthy and willing to pay for the expert witnesses, jury consultancy fees, legal research and more. Many class action suits target large corporations, and they have the financial means to hire the best of the best when it comes to attorneys and all the other working parts that make up a personal injury case.

3. Making a Positive Change: Without watchful consumers and highly publicized class action suits, some bad and dangerous products will just continue to negatively affect users. Class actions suits have the power of many behind it, and just the media coverage of the suit alone is sometimes enough to prompt a corporation to make changes to improve the safety of their products.

Not all class action suits are beneficial to victims, so speak to a personal injury attorney if you have been injured by an unsafe product or service. For more information, visit http://josephbwolfley.com.