A class action lawsuit is filed by one person, or a small group, who
share a similar legal claim with a large number of people. An example
of a class would be all individuals who purchased a defective product
and were harmed by the product. If a court determines that the person
or group who filed the class action lawsuit adequately represent the
interests of the entire class of people injured by the wrongful conduct
of a defendant, such as the manufacturer of a defective product, then
the class will be "certified" and the class action lawsuit may proceed.
Once a class action lawsuit has been resolved by way of a settlement
or verdict, all the members of the class as defined in the lawsuit, are
bound by the outcome.
Alternatively, when several individual lawsuits arising out of the same
basic facts are filed in multiple federal courts, the cases can be
coordinated into one district court. This process is known as
multidistrict litigation, and the coordinated action is referred to as
an MDL. Just as in a class action, in an MDL one judge handles all
pretrial activities. Thus MDL litigation achieves many of the same
efficiencies of class actions, but also preserving an individual's
separate lawsuit.
Class action lawsuits and MDL litigation are both effective in leveling
the playing field when individuals or small businesses sue powerful
organizations. They are valuable tools for seeking compensation,
implementing an injunction, or determining the legal rights of a large
group of people all at one time and in one court. But class action
lawsuits and multidistrict litigation are complex. They require the help
of a Michigan business litigation attorney with specialized skills and
firms with tremendous resources.
Pursuing Class Action and MDL Lawsuits
Our firm has the background to pursue class action cases statewide,
nationwide, or MDL litigation throughout the country. We have utilized
class action lawsuits in employment disputes, complicated insurance
issues, consumer protection claims, RICO and antitrust actions and
pharmaceutical drug and medical device cases. A class action attorney
with Sommers Schwartz can review your case, whether you are a consumer
or business, in order to evaluate the merits of the case.
If you feel you have a claim that affects a class of people or
businesses, contact a Michigan class action lawsuit lawyer for an
evaluation of your case.