How Much Is A Class Action Lawsuit Worth?

The two most frequently asked questions relating to class action lawsuits is how much are they worth? Or how to join a class action lawsuit?

The answer to the first one is pretty easy as you have to do very little, if anything, to join a class action lawsuit. Most of these are known as opt-outs, meaning that any class member whose legal interests are being represented by the lawsuit are automatically included but they can opt out if they wish. In other words, they can choose whether to participate or not, it's entirely up to them. So, how much is a class action lawsuit worth? That is a lot more complex as you can see below.

What Does Mass Tort Mean?

If a case is classed as mass tort it is not actually a class action. As the name suggests, a class action is a number of people all making the same claim and they are all represented by the same person. An en mass claim for want of a better description. In a mass tort case, however, each person involved has to file their own individual claim in order to receive any compensation. The most usual reasons for mass tort cases are the likes of pharmaceutical products and/or faulty medical devices. These include hip replacements, surgical mesh, breast implants etc.

Opt-In Class Actions

There are some class action lawsuits which are described as opt-ins. This essentially means that the people who could potentially be class members haven't automatically been included in the lawsuit when it was initially filed. The type of class actions which are normally deemed to be opt-ins will usually involve allegations relating to illegal practices within employment. This can include such things as overtime not being paid or discrimination taking place in the workplace. Should a case be an opt-in lawsuit the initial class action notice will include the necessary information on how you can opt-in and be part of the lawsuit.

How Much Money Will I Get?

The settlement received from class action lawsuits doesn't usually add up to much. Some people have gone through the whole process to only end up with a few dollars at the end of it. That said, in major class action cases against large corporations some recipients have been known to receive checks for a few thousands dollars. That still might not seem a lot of money but as you actually do very little in a class action lawsuit, as the attorney takes care of it all, it's quite a nice payout for doing very little if the case is successful.

It is easy to find current class action lawsuits online so you can see if you have cause to join the suit and receive a percentage of the final settlement. These cases often involve the likes of recalled faulty electrical items, or certain parts of cars that haven't worked properly but haven't been dangerous or impacted the way you drove them. A good example of this took place last year when anyone who had bought a Ford vehicle prior to 2013 which had a MyFord Touch installed could join a class action lawsuit. This was due to the Touch device being unresponsive to vocal commands, giving drivers the wrong directions and failing to sync with cell phones. 

K Elizabeth xoxox

*Collaborative Post