What are class action lawsuits?

Cates Mahoney, LLC is a law firm with David Cates as one of its lead trial lawyers. Headquartered in Swansea, Illinois, the firm focuses on complex litigation involving personal injury, class action, mass torts, and employment law cases.

For this blog, Cates Mahoney, LLC discusses class action lawsuits.

A class action lawsuit is brought by an individual or group of people who have suffered the same or a very similar type of injury against a defendant on behalf of a much larger group of people who have also suffered the same or similar harm. The Class Representative or the class plaintiff is the individual or small group of people who file suit against the defendant on behalf of themselves and others who have been similarly injured. Class is the entire group of individuals who have been similarly harmed by the defendant’s actions. Classes can be as small as a dozen or as big as millions.

Depending on the situation, people may be actively involved in a class action lawsuit. This is most likely when they are one of the first people to discover the injury or seek out legal representation. They may even be the class representative who files a class action on behalf of those injured in their state or the U.S.

However, you can also be part of a class action lawsuit with no involvement. You may receive a letter or email describing a case in which the attorneys believe you are part of the class. You are then given the opportunity to opt in or out of the action, David Cates explains.

David Cates is a founding principal in the law firm of Cates Mahoney, LLC., in Swansea, Illinois. The firm serves individuals and families across Southern Illinois and the Metro East region, from St. Louis to the Indiana border, including the communities of Belleville, Carbondale, East St. Louis, Granite City, Edwardsville, Chester, Waterloo, Madison County, St. Clair County, Monroe County, and Randolph County. For more about Attorney David Cates and Cates Mahoney, LLC, click here.