Class Action Attorneys
What is a Class Action Lawsuit?
A class action is a lawsuit in which a number of people or businesses join together to seek compensation and other legal remedies against a single person or entity. These lawsuits are powerful legal tools often used to combat deceptive business practices, consumer and investment fraud, employment infractions and a wide range of other violations of legal rights. The class action attorneys at Glancy Prongay & Murray help people enforce their legal rights through litigation and negotiated settlement. Our firm obtained $182 million in settlement money for the people and businesses that we represent in 2018 alone.
Class actions are an attractive option because they allow a number of people or entities to share the cost and risk of legal action. The lawsuits also give those suing the chance to combine and leverage their legal claims, which can be helpful in getting the attention of large companies accused of fraud, deception or other legal violations.
Our class action lawyers combine decades of legal experience to help clients weigh their rights and options and to build the strongest possible case for compensation.
How to Start, Join a Class Action
There are a number of legal requirements that must be met in order for a group of people or businesses to form a class. It is up to a judge to determine whether to certify, or approve, the class and allow the collective legal action to proceed.
Generally, there must be a sufficient number of potential claimants to show that it would be inefficient, unrealistic or overly burdensome for them to seek legal remedies by filing separate individual lawsuits. The people or entities pursuing the class action also have to show that class members share common questions of fact or law that make the combined lawsuit an efficient option.
The class representatives, or designated class members who participate in the litigation, also must meet certain requirements. That includes that they fairly and adequately represent the claims of the class members.
Once a class is certified, the court may direct the lawyers notify all of the class members of the lawsuit and their rights and options. Class members may have the right to opt out, which allows them to pursue their own individual lawsuits. Opting out means the class member will not share in any settlement or monetary award obtained as a result of the lawsuit.
From this point, the precise process may depend on the court that you are in or the laws under which you are suing.
Anyone considering starting, joining or opting out of a class action lawsuit is well-advised to consult an experienced lawyer. The class actions attorneys Glancy Prongay & Murray help you understand and advance their rights.
Consumer Class Actions
Federal and state consumer laws are designed to protect people from fraud, misrepresentation, malfunctioning products and deceptive business practices. Class actions allow consumers to protect their rights under these laws and to seek compensation for the harm caused when they are violated.
Consumer fraud refers to a variety of scams and deceptive practices, from robocalls, hidden banking fees and unauthorized charges to false advertising and identity theft. What many of these examples of fraud have in common is that they are based on empty promises or false or incomplete information.
Consumers also have a number of legal protections in circumstances that do not involve outright fraud. Consumer laws require food and supplement manufacturers to provide certain information on their labels, for example, and make carmakers responsible when their vehicles are defective.
Securities Class Actions
Class actions are a common way to pursue compensation for investment fraud and securities law violations.
That includes seeking compensation for insider trading, pump and dump scams, pyramid schemes and the misappropriation of corporate funds, among other unlawful practices. These legal violations hurt investors and may negatively impact the value of the stock, whether the people or businesses responsible intended to do so or not.
Securities class actions typically define the class members as anyone who owned stock in a particular company between specific dates, during which the alleged illegal activity occurred. Although investors are automatically included in the class, they often also have the right to opt out if they choose.
Employment Class Actions
Employment class actions often involve a group of workers suing their employers for failing to properly pay them or for discriminating against them.
State and federal laws require employers to pay their employees certain minimum wages and to pay time-and-a-half overtime wages in some scenarios. Other laws also protect employees from being discriminated against or harassed on the job based on race, sex, religion, disability or another protected status.
Class actions are an effective way to bring an employer to the settlement negotiation table. They are particularly useful in cases that involve relatively low-dollar individual claims that might otherwise be too expensive to pursue through single lawsuits. The class action allows workers to share the cost. These lawsuits also allow employees to combine their monetary claims, making it more likely to get their employers’ attention.
How Our Class Action Attorneys Can Help You
If you or a loved one is considering starting or joining a class action, it is important to understand the legal requirement and the full array of options. A seasoned class action lawyer can provide vital assistance and help you maximize the compensation to which you may be entitled.
At Glancy Prongay & Murray, our class action lawyers help people fight back against fraud, deceptive business practices, employment law violations and other unlawful conduct. We have a strong background in class action law and proven history of success for clients in complex litigation. Our attorneys are proud to stand by the people that we represent and dedicated to working aggressively to get them the full compensation available under the law.
Call us at (310) 201-9150 or contact us online to speak with our class action attorneys today.