Class Action Cases
Wiggins, Childs, Quinn & Pantazis attorneys have had class action cases certified in both state and federal courts throughout the country. Our attorneys have a proven track record in all areas of complex litigation, including class actions. We are highly skilled negotiators and are well equipped, whether through settlement or litigation, to obtain a favorable resolution in class action cases. The purpose of a class action lawsuit is to combine numerous claims of individuals (the class) into one action before a single judge to seek legal remedy for all members of the class.
Class action law is power in numbers. Class action lawsuits are permitted under Federal law and the law of most states. These lawsuits are filed by one or more individuals on behalf of a larger group of individuals who have been harmed in the same way. They share a common interest and are joined together in a group (the class) to sue a wrongdoer, usually a company or an organization. The individuals who bring such lawsuits are called class representatives.
Class actions open up the legal process, giving everyone the ability to protect their rights by hiring top attorneys and sharing the cost with the larger group (the class). Through class action cases, the lawyers work to reform corporate practices so that businesses are penalized if they illegally harm consumers or employees.
The attorneys in class action lawsuits are generally paid on a contingency basis, which means that they receive a percentage of the final recovery to compensate them for their time (attorney fees) and expenses (costs). Such fees and costs must be approved by the court to ensure that they are reasonable. If there is no recovery, the class representative is not responsible for paying any attorney fees or costs.