Class action is a lawsuit brought by a group of people who have similar claims. Such a group is called a class. Suppose that many consumers paid too high a price for a product because its few producers agreed illegally to charge similar prices. Most purchasers could not afford an individual lawsuit to recover the overcharge. But they might pool their claims and file a class action to collect damages from the companies. Classes can range from a small group of people to a statewide or nationwide class. One or more members of the class, called the class representatives, are the named plaintiffs in the suit and represent all other class members.
People first used class actions mainly to recover money owed them in bankruptcy cases. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, civil rights groups used class actions to fight school segregation, job discrimination, and housing and voting restrictions. Since the 1960’s, the use of class actions has expanded to all types of consumer actions. Environmental groups have used class actions to protest oil spills and other public nuisances. People have also filed class actions against gun and tobacco companies, charging that the companies acted irresponsibly in marketing harmful or dangerous products.
See also Smoking (Smoking regulations) .
