Class Action Suits

Class action suits are compensation claims filed by a group of people against a single defendant when their causes for claiming compensation are similar. A class action suit could be filed by a group of employees against their employer if they are being paid at different rates of pay because of their gender, race or colour, or against a drug manufacturer who released drugs onto the market which harmed those who took them. 

Benefits of Class Action Suits

In the right circumstances, joining a class action suit can be beneficial to both you and others in the claim. For example, if your bank is illegally charging you excessive amounts of bank charges, you as an individual may find it difficult to change this policy and pay a reasonable sum. But if all the bank customers who thought the charges were too high were to form a class action suit, the bank in question may take a more serious view of the matter.

Disadvantages of Class Action Suits

When you join a class action suit, you forfeit the right to sue the company as an individual. You also have no control over how the case is handled or what settlement is reached. Although victorious class action suits will distribute the award of compensation with regard to those who have suffered the most damage, you may not receive the same amount as if you had pursued the case as an individual.

Should You Join a Class Action Suit?

Every class action suit is different, and your personal circumstances will influence whether belonging to a class action suit is beneficial to you or not. It is recommended that you speak with an impartial solicitor to discuss your personal circumstances and how they might be reflected in damages in a class action suit. Whereas some class action suits may generate the desired result in a shorter space of time, others may crawl along as the defendant´s legal team try to prevent a major compensation pay-out.

If you are on the verge of making a claim for compensation, and would like to know if there is already a class action suit in place, please call our free advice line on 1800 989 995. We will be able to offer helpful and practical advice on the steps that would be best for you to take, and you can discuss the potential benefits of joining a class action suit with an experienced solicitor. Our service is completely confidential and there is no pressure on you to proceed with an individual claim for compensation once you have spoken with us.

Our Promise to You:

What You Can Expect When You Call

We have been involved in class action suits since they were first proposed by the Law Society in 2003, and have seen the benefits of them to claimants and also the downside of joining a class action suit. Inasmuch as there is plenty of third hand advice in the media, we know that we are sufficiently experienced to advise clients with accuracy as to the best course of action for them.

In order to assess your position accurately, we would ask you to tell us the circumstances leading up to your proposed claim for compensation – what your complaint is, who it is against and if you already know of class action suits taken against this particular company or individual in the past.

If you have questions regarding your options, or would just like to know more about class actions suits in general, you are at liberty to make such enquiries at any stage of our discussion. We can also clear up any conflicting opinions you may have acquired from well-meaning family and friends.

Whenever possible, we will give you a definitive answer during our initial conversation as to which is the best course of action for you to follow. You are under no obligation to act on any of our suggestions and many clients have taken a few days to reflect on our advice before making a final decision.

You should, however, waste no time in calling our free advice line on 1800 989 995. Our lines are open between 8.00am and 10.00pm, seven days a week, and we also operate a call-back service should it be an inconvenient time to call right now. Simply complete your contact details in the box at the foot of the page and one of our helpful team will be in touch with you shortly.