Explore The ClassActionGuide™ to discover if you are eligible to participate in a Class Action Lawsuit or entitled to a settlement or rebate.

How Class Actions Work

Here is a step-by-Step guide on how to file a class action:

Step 1: Is there an actual case that can be made?

A lawyer needs to do some digging after someone contacts him or her about a potential class action. He or she would need to figure out if the case has numerality and commonality.
- Example- A person contacts a lawyer regarding his washing machine breaking after owning it for only one year. The lawyer would conduct some research and find out that many people had the same issue. However, he would then need to figure out whether the appliances were breaking as a result of mistreatment by the consumers or due to faulty production by the company. It wouldn’t have been enough for the lawyer to just find people with the same issue to make it a class action

Step 2: File the Lawsuit

Once a lawyer determines there is a class action that can be filed, then he or she will draft the complaint. The complaint will encompass all the details of the case, establish the class, as well as state what the damages and compensation sought.

Step 3: Certification by the Courts

Completing steps 1 and 2 does not make the suit a class action. The presiding judge over the case must certify the case as such in order for it to be given a class action status. This process is known as certification.

Step 4: Discovery of Evidence

This is the investigatory phase of a lawsuit where the lawyers will request and collect documents and other information from the company being sued to help prove the allegations filed against them. This is also when interviews and statements from the class are presented as evidence as well

Step 5: Resolutions

Many class action suits settle before going to trial. This usually means that the defendant will agree to pay a certain amount as compensation for the victims. It’s up to the judge to determine whether the amount provides fair and adequate compensation. If the case does not settle, then the case will be brought to trial.

Step 6: Notification to the Class

Once a lawsuit is settled, the attorneys will issue a notice to the class members informing them of the settlement. The members of the class can then either accept their share of the settlement or opt out of receiving compensation.

Here Are Some Companies That Have Paid Out Millions Of Dollars in Claims:

Progressive Insurance • Red Robin • Radio Shack • RJ Reynolds Tobacco • Ford Motor Company • Sears Roebuck • Verizon Wireless • Family Dollar Stores

TheClassActionGuide™ is not affiliated with any of the listed products, brands, or organizations, nor do any of them endorse or sponsor TheClassActionGuide™. TheClassActionGuide™ is a resource to help consumers gain access to Class Actions Lawsuits and/or Settlements that they may be eligible to participate in. There is no guarantee that people who register on TheClassActionGuide™ will qualify for or otherwise be able to benefit from or participate in any of the lawsuits or settlements included or referenced on this website.