While there is no specific number necessary to file a class action lawsuit, too few participants may keep the courts from certifying a class, according to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Ideally, enough members would combine multiple people’s cases to create a court-certified class action lawsuit.
During your free consultation, a class action lawsuit lawyer can discuss your case with you. An attorney may help gather evidence proving another party caused your injuries and financial losses. Class action lawsuit attorneys may investigate whether others suffered similarly from the same party. If the evidence supports this, you may file a class-action lawsuit. Some of the biggest class-action lawsuits had or currently have hundreds of plaintiffs. Such massive actions give a case innate merit and establish the case’s validity in court. For the plaintiffs, the more they are, the stronger they become. When a corporation faces such massive numbers of plaintiffs, it is likely it will offer a significant response instead of shrugging off a small lawsuit as it usually does.
Overview of Class Action Lawsuits
For a class action lawsuit, you must prove that numerous people sustained harm in a similar way or suffered financial losses at the hands of another party for a court to certify your class action lawsuit. There can either be one single plaintiff or several plaintiffs taking action against a defendant or multiple defendants. Some class action lawsuits involve thousands of people, such as customers who purchased a defective, harmful product from the same company.
Class action lawsuits require evidence of a pattern of harm, and for this reason, how many people you need for a class action lawsuit matters, as an abundance of plaintiffs helps. When many people endure the same damages from another party, it makes sense to join these cases together as one. If too few people apply for a class action lawsuit, it would make more sense for the members of the class to pursue a case individually. This would benefit them more as they can pursue compensation based on the details of their own cases and receive a financial award based on the facts of their own situations.
Some class sizes can reach millions. While there is no exact number needed for a class action lawsuit, it is difficult to form a class to receive certification with less than 20 members. A class with at least a few dozen members is preferred and will likely be certified and move forward. It is important that the members must also fit the requirements, including suffering injuries in the same way, for a class action lawsuit to receive certification.
For instance, according to our Camp Lejeune water contamination lawyer, the lawsuit had roughly 4,500 plaintiffs against the Department of the Navy in one of the largest and most severe water contamination cases in the U.S. history. However, the number is just an estimate, as the claims were filed in groups. On the other hand, the Truvada lawsuit started with roughly forty plaintiffs, but many more joined the class action along the way. Our talcum powder cancer attorney says that Johnson and Johnson faces around 20,000 plaintiffs in one of the largest MDLs in the past years.
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Benefits of Class Action Lawsuits
The idea behind a class action lawsuit is to award a number of people the same amount of compensation as a result of suffering injuries from the same defendant(s). When a group of people pursues a class action lawsuit, the members do not have to pay for legal costs or appear in court to represent their interests.
A lead plaintiff, or a class representative, and the legal team for that case will fight to acquire a fair settlement. Ultimately, the judge will decide the outcome of the case. What the judge determines will then apply to all of the class members. Class action lawsuits may prove more cost-effective, efficient, and less distressing than an individual pursuing a traditional lawsuit against a company or corporation on their own.
You should not feel deterred from pursuing a class action claim if you only have a small group or even stand alone. A class action lawsuit lawyer can ask a judge to certify a class if they feel your case warrants one. Depending on the facts of your case, a lawyer may pursue other legal options instead, such as a mass tort action. This kind of case may accommodate a smaller group of people.
Filing for a Class Action Lawsuit
Some people receive notices in the mail about possible eligibility to participate in class action lawsuits. Mailed notices may help you to get involved with others who suffered the same harm. If you think others sustained the same injuries you did, you can speak with a class action lawsuit lawyer who handles these types of cases.
Ben Crump Law, PLLC understands how many people you need for a class action lawsuit to be successful and can offer legal guidance about the class action process and how that pertains to your case.
We want to hear about the facts of your case and discuss your options. You did not deserve to suffer preventable harm, and we want to seek justice with you. We do not shy away from tough cases. We want to make sure you suffer no further harm due to your situation. The defendant(s) should pay for any necessary treatment, not you.
Call the team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC today at 800-709-1441 for a free case evaluation. Do not delay in acting; your road to recovery, with a legal team on your side, begins when you call.
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