Anna Holland pays close attention to the fine print found within her monthly telephone bill. When she discovered her carrier had slipped in a few hidden fees, Anna contacted an attorney she knew who represented plaintiffs in consumer fraud cases. After an initial consultation, Anna decided not to file an individual claim and instead, wait until a group of plaintiffs with similar complaints against the cell phone carrier filed a larger and much more effective class action lawsuit
“It all boiled down to the question is it worth it,’ said Anna. “My attorney said the costs of filing an individual lawsuit to recover money from the hidden fees would be much higher than any money I won in a court case. So, I decided to wait and see if other people had the same beef with my cell phone company.”
Ann has never received a notice of legal class action against the cell phone carrier, but she now has a much better understanding of the benefits of filing a class action lawsuit.
Reduced Litigation Costs
Court and attorney fees can make filing an individual lawsuit cost prohibitive. This is especially true for protracted court battles between you and a defendant that you claim was liable for injuries caused by a product or through negligence. In a class action lawsuit, the costs of the lawsuit spread over numerous plaintiffs, which significantly reduce the legal cost of individual claims. Moreover, attorneys handle many class action lawsuits on a contingency fee that means plaintiffs do not pay legal fees until they win their class action cases.
Better Chance of Winning
The axiom “The more, the merrier” takes on a new meaning for class action lawsuits. Class action judgments ensure financial damages are dispersed among the plaintiffs that joined the class action cases. If several plaintiffs file individual cases against the same defendant, most, if not all of the plaintiffs might be left out in the financial cold because the plaintiff filed for bankruptcy. The primary complaint against class action lawsuits is the monetary rewards pale in comparison to the rewards given to plaintiffs that file individual cases. However, joining a class action lawsuits at least gives you the peace if mind knowing you will receive something for your pain and suffering.
Work with Experienced Attorneys
Class action lawsuits require the brightest legal minds. A class action lawsuit case can include thousands of legal document pages, from the litigation of similar cases to technical white papers that demonstrate defendant negligence. Attorneys that understand the rapidly changing legal landscape of class action litigation provide you with an advantage during complex cases. You also have to consider the recruitment of expert witnesses that testify on your behalf. A lawyer who has worked numerous class action cases offers much more effective legal representation than an inexperienced attorney who pursues a product liability case for a single client.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of filing a class action lawsuit is that you get the opportunity to seek justice inside of an American courtroom. As Anna Holland confirms, filing a lawsuit against a telecommunications company for adding hidden fees to a monthly cell phone bill is not worth the thousands of dollars in legal fees. However, by working with a licensed attorney experienced in a class action lawsuit, you have the opportunity to seek justice. You just have to pay attention to the myriad class action lawsuit notices presented by various media outlets.
Contact an experienced attorney today for a free consultation to discuss your class action lawsuit status, or the possibility of initiating a new one.