Common types of class action lawsuits

A class-action lawsuit is a civil lawsuit brought by at least one person to represent hundreds or thousands of other plaintiffs who all have a similar case against a common defendant. Class action lawsuits could be brought against the manufacturer of a defective product, an employer who exploits their workers, or factory owners who polluted large swaths of land or rivers. Keep reading to learn more about the most common types of class action lawsuits and what the legal process looks like. 

Class-Action Lawsuits: What You Need to Know

In each of the examples listed below, filing a class action suit along with a number of other plaintiffs can strengthen your case even more and may lead to real change on the part of the defendant. Filing a civil lawsuit as an individual will likely lead to a quiet settlement out of court, but a class action lawsuit may attract more attention to the issue and force the defending institution to make changes on the systemic level. 

  • Environmental lawsuits can take many forms, but one example is when a group of property or homeowners files a class action suit against a business whose production is polluting their land and damaging their property’s value. 
  • Employment lawsuits usually relate to unfair wages, such as when an employee is denied time and a half for overtime work, workplace discrimination, and sexual harassment. 
  • Defective drugs and products likely harmed more people than just you or your family. You could bring a class action suit against a pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturing company, though these cases are usually handled as “mass torts” since each individual’s injuries vary.
  • Civil rights class action lawsuits are especially useful in taking down big corporations and forcing change on a larger scale. According to the Center for Justice and Democracy, companies such as Kodak, Walgreens, Coca-Cola, Marriott, and Home Depot have all paid settlements to workers who filed class action lawsuits against them and won.

Contact a Class-Action Attorney in New York

If you are thinking about filing a class action lawsuit, the New York class action lawyers at Hach & Rose, LLP are ready to assist you. Our attorneys have years of experience handling class action lawsuits, especially employment-related and environment-related cases. Call our office at (212) 779-0057 to discuss your legal options today. 

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