How To Join a Class-Action Lawsuit

Full Video Transcript

First, not all lawsuits are class-action suits. A court must certify the suit as a class action by determining there are too many plaintiffs to be named individually. Next, a notice is sent out to potential class members. These people are identified through pharmacies, product registration data, car dealerships, etc., depending on the product that caused the injury. Class members indicate whether they wish to be part of the class action by returning the notice, but bear in mind the court naming a class-action suit does not mean you can no longer file your own lawsuit. In fact, if you’ve been seriously injured, this might be a better choice. Class members in a class-action lawsuit do not normally join into the litigation but may simply decide not to opt out. Though sometimes, a suit may be an opt-in class-action lawsuit. In those rare cases, a claim form or a request to join form may be necessary. The notice of the lawsuit should tell the class if they need to do anything to participate. In a suit for compensatory damages, any class member who does not opt out may be bound by the results of the litigation if it proceeds as a class action. If a class member wants to participate in the suit as a named party, then he should hire his own lawyer and seek to intervene to participate in the lawsuit.