Class action lawsuits can involve widespread consumer rights violations, from deceptive practices to defective products. Some of the most common cases include:
The critical common thread is the company or other entity has violated the law in some way that caused similar harm to a large number of consumers. In some cases, violations have gone unchecked for years and negatively impacted tens of thousands of consumers.
A class action is typically started by an individual or a small group of people. This group, or “class,” has been harmed by a large business or other entity that violated federal, state, or local law.
The lawsuit is brought on behalf of not only the named plaintiffs but also “on behalf of all others similarly situated.” This means that the named plaintiffs must allege that the harmful acts affected a larger group of victims, beyond themselves.
The named plaintiffs, through their class action attorneys, eventually ask the court to “certify the class.” The court must find that the issues are common to a larger group to allow the named plaintiffs to move forward and litigate the case on behalf of all consumers who were similarly harmed.
For example, a class might include every person in a state or in the United States who was charged a fee in violation of their credit card agreement, or who suffered an illegal interest rate.
In addition to monetary settlements or awards, class action orders and agreements often include provisions requiring the company to stop the unlawful practices, provide better information, and otherwise improve their business practices and interactions with consumers.
Many class-action lawsuits settle because there is compelling evidence of widespread unlawful practices and companies are concerned about a court ruling that they violated the law. However, even in the cases that ultimately settle, class action attorneys must often fight for years to protect consumers’ rights in complex and often highly technical proceedings.
A class of consumers must be represented by attorneys with sophisticated knowledge, experience, dedication, and resources to achieve the most favorable result possible.
Schlanger Law Group LLP has the resources and experience to effectively bring class-action suits on behalf of consumers who have been harmed by deceptive business practices, defective products, unfair collection actions, and other violations of state and federal law.
Our practice is dedicated to protecting the rights of consumers around the country, and our experience allows us to successfully manage complex class action litigation on behalf of those harmed by large companies. We also routinely work with smaller law firms that want to partner with experienced class action counsel to ensure the best result for their clients.
Whether you are a consumer who has suffered financially because of unlawful business practices or defective products, or if you are an attorney looking for a partner to provide the best representation to your class action clients, the class action attorneys at Schlanger Law Group are here to help.
Schlanger Law Group LLP serves clients in New Jersey, New York, and throughout the United States with consumer protection, class action, credit reporting, and identity theft issues.
Reach out to Schlanger Law Group for a free consultation, and let’s discuss your case with no upfront fees.
