Yes, if the court decides the underlying legal proceedings were fair, then all class members who are absent are generally bound by the judgment or settlement of a case. But, if the lawsuit is primarily to recover money, then absent class members are entitled to…
The answer depends on the nature of the lawsuit and your own individual circumstances. Often, class actions seek recovery for a large group of people, however, individual damages may be small. For instance, if a mortgage company is improperly charging interest and as a result…
Before a court certifies a class action, the court typically determines and concludes that there are too many class members for all the people to be named as parties in the lawsuit. Technically, class members do not join in the litigation and, instead, are considered…
First, a significant number of people must be potential members of a class, often referred to as numerosity. There must be so many potential plaintiffs that it is not practical for each to individually bring their claims. There is no magic number, as it is…
In a class action for money damages, attorneys who represent the class are generally paid out of the money that is recovered, referred to as a common fund, for the people they are representing. In class actions involving declaratory judgments or injunctive relief, lawyers may…
A class action lawsuit can help people similarly harmed by a corporation, or 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…