You Can Fight Corporate Misconduct In Class Action Law Suits

Have you or someone you know been injured by a defective product, cheated out of money, or discriminated against by an employer? Through a class action lawsuit, you and others like you can fight back and obtain the damages to which you are entitled.

What are class action law suits?

A class action lawsuit allows large groups of individuals who have been harmed by systematic or widespread misconduct to join together to file a single class action suit. Experienced attorneys handle these cases by initially filing a law suit on behalf of one or more representative plaintiffs (known as the "named plaintiffs"). They then ask the court to certify the case as a class action, which allows them to represent the named plaintiffs as well as the thousands of unnamed victims (known as the "class") who have suffered similar injuries as a result of the defendant's conduct.

Once the case is certified as a class action, the court then generally requires the parties to send notice to people who may have been affected by the defendant's conduct. These individuals then generally have the right to join the case or elect not to participate.

The attorneys are most often paid on a contingency fee basis with this type of law suit. This means that no one pays any attorneys' fees unless the law suit is successful.

There are four primary types of suits:

Consumer: These cases typically involve financial harm to a consumer arising out of a company's systematic and wrongful misconduct. Recent cases have involved illegal charges on bills, excessive fees for late payments, and violations of various consumer protection legislation.
Product Liability / Personal Injury: If a group of individuals has been injured as a result of a dangerous drug or a defective product, or by a "mass accident" such as a toxic chemical spill, then injured victims may bring a product liability or personal injury case. Merck & Co.*, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, announced that it is halting the sale of the arthritis drug Vioxxand recalling it from store shelves due to new data from a clinical trial found that use of Vioxx increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. An investigation into the arthritic drug Bextra (or valdecoxib), a pain reliever used to treat osteoarthritis, adult rheumatoid arthritis and severe menstrual cramps has also been launched.
Securities: If a corporation has misstated earnings, concealed certain risks, or otherwise engaged in activities detrimental to the company, shareholders are entitled to bring a securities case.
Employment: When a group of employees has been discriminated against, or subjected to a pattern and practice of wage and hour violations. Discriminatory practices can include adverse economic action (or inaction) such as bias in hiring, promotion, demotion, suspension, job assignment, termination, compensation or benefits.

We have experienced attorneys that know how to bring these complex cases to a quick and cost effective resolution. Some of our recent cases and investigations have involved the following industries and companies:

prescription drugs