Recovering From Your Accident

In most cases, you have to file an individual lawsuit if you are injured as a result of someone else's negligence. However, there are cases where it makes more sense to band as a group of injury victims and file a joint lawsuit – such cases are known as class action lawsuits. Here are some common examples of cases that may give rise to a class action lawsuit.

Shoppers Who Have Been Overcharged By Vendors

This is a classic example of a personal injury case that has the potential to affect a multitude of people. For example, it might be that an online vendor included illegal card charges on its site that automatically included a few dollars on each customer shopping on the site. Such a case can go on for weeks or even months before it is discovered. Depending on the popularity of the site, this can affect even thousands of shoppers who may instigate a class action lawsuit against the vendor.

Investors Who Have Suffered Investment Fraud

Securities fraud is a fraud involving the sale of securities (stocks, bonds, and mutual funds). For example, an investment company may lie to its investors about guaranteed interests or the performance of certain stocks. There are even cases where investors have used their client's funds for personal gain. A class action lawsuit may ensue if multiple investors are harmed that way.

Employees Discriminated Against By an Employer

Employee discrimination can give rise to both criminal and civil lawsuits depending on the nature of the prevailing circumstances. Consider a case in which a large employer has been discriminating against its female employees year after year by paying them lower salaries as compared to the male employees (for the same jobs). If this is proven, then the female employees may file a class action lawsuit against their employer.

Patients Injured by a Negligent Hospital

Patient injuries in a hospital setup may also give rise to class action lawsuits. A good example is a case in which a hospital has been issuing tainted blood to those who require drug transfusions or dispensing defective drugs from its pharmacy.

Consumers Injured By Defective Products

The last example is that of consumers who have purchased and gotten injured by defective products. A classic example is a case of motorists who purchased cars with defective airbags that ended up aggravating their injuries during accidents.

If you are one of the victims of an accident, don't assume that you are automatically destined for a class action lawsuit. These types of lawsuits have their pros and cons, and its best to have a lawyer evaluate your injury first and help you determine whether to file an individual or class action lawsuit.

For more information, contact a law office like Philpot Law Firm Pa.