How to Start a Class Action Lawsuit: A Quick Guide

Unfortunately, it’s not impossible to be the victim of a company or organization’s wrongdoing. This could involve both physical and financial distress.

In the event that you would like to file a class action lawsuit against the entity in question, it’s essential that you understand the necessary steps. Let’s explore how to start a class action lawsuit and ensure that you maximize your chances of success.

Prepare to Recount the Events

Before you file a class action lawsuit, you’ll need to take a moment to recollect the events as they occurred. It’s essential that you get this information as correct as possible. To elaborate, you should attempt to recount every single relevant detail of the incident.

This could be the time of day, the exact location where the incident occurred, who was with you at the time, etc. As you might guess, it’s in your best interest to provide any type of supporting evidence that you can. Even a short video recording or set of photographs could go a long way in establishing blame.

When preparing your statement, you should do so chronologically. Go through the events exactly as they occurred and document anything relevant that could help your case.

Of course, you should not intentionally omit factors that could put you at fault. Otherwise, you may encounter legal complications in the future.

Identify the Most Likely Causes

Once you’ve established what occurred, you can then begin identifying the causes behind the incident.
 

More specifically, though, you will need to identify common issues that are present within situations that other people have experienced. For example, let’s assume that a sporting goods company has a section of its stores that allow customers to test equipment.

If multiple people become injured in different scenarios as a result of faulty equipment, you could use this information to help file a class action lawsuit. Of course, this will vary from case to case and some common issues may be easier to identify than others.

As long as you research appropriately, though, you will give yourself a greater chance of success.

Determine What Laws Apply to Your Situation

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that you are also required to determine what laws the organization infringed upon. Many people are overwhelmed at this point in the process due to how many laws they need to consider.

To clarify, you could find yourself dealing with false advertising, consumer protection laws, securities laws, or even employment law. However, narrowing in on this information is an essential part of the process. If you cannot provide concrete evidence that the organization actively broke the law, you may not be able to receive the compensation you are entitled to. 

Using the aforementioned sporting goods example, you wouldn’t be able to file a class action lawsuit if you were using the equipment inappropriately. This is simply due to the fact that you would be a significant contributing factor to your own injury.

Get in Touch With a Legal Professional

Getting in touch with a legal professional is just as important as the previous steps of this process. In fact, working with a consumer class action attorney is likely the only way that you are going to be able to get the results that you desire. When looking for a class action attorney, be sure that you consider their reputation.

This will provide you with insight into the type of results you can expect when you hire them for your case. You should also determine whether or not that specific lawyer will be the one handling your case. Sometimes, an attorney will take upon a case but then outsource it to another lawyer at their firm.

This means that you are essentially rolling the dice if you choose to work with a legal firm that frequently does this. Finally, you should only hire a lawyer who specializes in dealing with cases similar to yours.

File the Lawsuit

Once you have all of the other details squared away, you can finally file the lawsuit. Although you need to have examples of multiple incidents in order to file a class action lawsuit, it only requires one person to do so. 

After all, the entire purpose of this type of lawsuit is to seek justice against the infringing organization on behalf of everyone else. If you are unsure of the process itself, your lawyer can help you do so.

Afterward, you’ll be on the right track toward acquiring compensation.

Is There Anything That Can Stop Me From Doing So?

It’s important to note that there are several factors that could prevent you from filing a lawsuit of this type. The most common example is when employees of a company sign a document that waives their right to do so. 

This is also one of the reasons why it is so important to hire a legal professional. They will be able to identify factors preventing you from legally filing a class action lawsuit against an organization.

Knowing How to Start a Class Action Lawsuit Might Seem Overwhelming

Under some circumstances, it could even seem too difficult to handle on your own. The good news is that knowing how to start a class action lawsuit becomes much easier when you get in touch with a reputable class action lawyer.

Looking for more tips that can help you out later on? Check out the rest of our blog for plenty of more useful information.