When you watch the television, you often hear attorneys who’ve made commercials asking you to call in if you’ve been injured or if your health has declined after using a particular medical product. There’s a reason that they’re trying to get you to join a class-action lawsuit against the manufacturer of that product. There are many positives associated with joining one of these.
Litigation expenses can be costly. If every patient or customer who was wronged went out and hired their attorney to fight their case, many plaintiffs would put out more money than they pull in.
Time is a factor too. There are only so many judges with so much time on their schedules. There are not enough hours in the day for judges here in Charleston or elsewhere in West Virginia to hear every case. Many plaintiffs would have their cases fall by the wayside if it weren’t for them joining class-action lawsuits.
Class-action lawsuits are best filed by plaintiffs that have smaller claims. Claimants who join these types of court cases as plaintiffs enjoy the benefits of sharing attorney fees and court costs. Courts have their schedule filled with a larger, single case instead of multiple smaller ones. Plaintiffs generally are represented by more experienced attorneys, which may result in a greater chance of winning their case.
If there’s one negative aspect to joining a class-action lawsuit, it’s that amount of money that a defendant is ultimately ordered to pay is ultimately split among the plaintiffs. In some cases, that compensation is divided up using a graduated system whereby injured parties are awarded progressively higher compensation the more hurt that they are.
One of the best steps that you can take if you’ve been injured by a product or a service is to consult with an attorney about your case. They can advise you of the pros and cons of joining a lawsuit and what you may expect your outcome to be by doing so.
