Arizona Class Action Lawyers
Strong advocacy when multiple people suffer injuries due to the same cause
Often, when multiple victims have similar claims, it’s advantageous to combine them. There are different methods for combining claims, including class action lawsuits, mass tort lawsuits, and multi-district litigation.
At Verderame Law Group Arizona Injury Lawyers, we handle class action, mass tort, and multi-district lawsuits – either as lead counsel or as your individual attorney. We understand when these lawsuits should be brought, how they work, and what compensation you can receive. Often, it’s easier if multiple victims combine their cases, especially when the large corporations that caused the injuries have high-priced lawyers defending them. Call us now to discuss your rights in class action and other multi-victim lawsuits.
How Can We Help?
- What is a class action claim?
- What are the key elements of a class action claim?
- What are the key elements of a mass tort claim?
- What are the key elements of a multi-district claim?
- What types of class action claims do you handle?
- What compensation can I receive in a class action claim?
- What are the pros and cons of class actions, mass torts, and MDLs?
- How do you fight for class action, mass tort, and MDL claimants?
- Do you have an Arizona class action lawyer near me?
What is a class action claim?
A class action lawsuit involves economic and/or personal injuries to multiple people. When there are many victims, combining the lawsuits may be beneficial. By trying the cases together, it’s possible to handle the common issues more efficiently.
If the common threads are primarily economic damage, then the action is normally brought through a class action. Class actions are especially useful when the individual damages are small, but the combined damages (because of the large number of victims) are quite large. A common example is when a car part is defective, and the defect needs to be repaired or replaced.
Generally, if all the victims suffer different physical injuries, the combined action is called a mass tort action. In some cases involving multiple victims, the cases may be combined through multi-district litigation (MDL), where some of the issues are resolved together, and some are handled separately. We explain these types of claims in the next three sections.
What are the key elements of a class action claim?
A class action includes the following parts:
- The court must find requirements such as numerosity, common legal or factual questions, typical claims or defenses, and adequate representation.
- A class action is one lawsuit that is filed on behalf of multiple victims (the “class”) who have similar claims against the same defendant.
- All victims are represented by “lead plaintiffs” or representatives. These people are directly involved in the litigation, including providing depositions, interrogatories, and testifying in court.
- The class must be properly 'certified' by the court (either in Arizona state court or federal court, depending on the jurisdiction)
- Once a class is certified for damages, members are typically included automatically but are notified of their right to 'opt out' if they wish to pursue an individual lawsuit. In some specific types of cases, different rules regarding participation may apply.
- The court decision brought by the lead plaintiffs applies to every member of the class.
- The damage award is distributed among class members based on a court-approved plan of allocation, which typically considers each member's individual losses or claims.
Class action lawsuits can be used for defective products, consumer fraud, data breaches, and other wrongs.
In standard class action lawsuits, the victims’ claims typically share common legal or factual issues.
What are the key elements of a mass tort claim?
The key parts of a mass tort claim involve the following:
- The defendant is the same, or the defendants are the same.
- The victims usually suffer different types of injuries.
- The cases are managed together, but each case for each plaintiff proceeds separately.
- Each claimant has their own lawyer.
- The compensation is based on the individual harm to each victim.
Multi-district litigation (MDL) is generally a combined claim across different jurisdictions that involves one central case to handle the pretrial phase.
The key parts of an MDL include:
- Managing cases in a single MDL docket to coordinate the cases and enable the smooth management of discovery.
- Once discovery in an MDL is complete, cases may be settled through a global agreement or remanded (sent back) to their original courts for individual trials.
Generally, an MDL involves a Plaintiff’s Steering Committee composed of lead lawyers. A federal judge handles the overall litigation until the discovery/pre-trial phase is complete. The verdicts in early cases can often set the stage for the liability and damages in the other individual cases.
What types of class action claims do you handle?
We handle many different types of class action, mass tort, and MDL claims, including:
- Defective devices that cause injuries. These include defective medical devices and drugs.
- Hazardous exposures.
- Environmental exposures.
- Bus and plane crashes.
- Explosions.
- Industrial accidents.
What compensation can I receive in a class action claim?
The compensation in a standard class action is generally your share of the overall settlement or verdict.
In mass tort lawsuits, your share is usually the amount you would receive if you brought a separate personal injury claim.
In MDL litigation, the results of the pretrial work can be used in your case. We can advise you if your case proceeds as a class action claim, a mass tort claim, or an individual claim.
Personal injury compensation in Arizona claims includes all your current and future:
- Medical bills of every nature by every medical provider
- Lost income and benefits for as long as you can’t work
- Daily physical pain and emotional suffering
- Property damage
- Loss of bodily function
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Loss of consortium (marital companionship and intimacy)
If a loved one dies, we seek wrongful death damages.
We may also seek punitive damages, according to Arizona law.
What are the pros and cons of class actions, mass torts, and MDLs?
Often, accidents due to defective products, explosions, environmental causes, and other dangers are very complex and very expensive. Combining the cases helps ensure that victims can have their day in court or obtain a fair settlement because many of the issues get resolved before their individual cases are ready to be resolved or litigated.
Class actions and other combination lawsuits can take a long time to certify and a long time to litigate. The defendants will fight extremely hard because they know the initial pretrial and early cases are likely to affect outcomes in all their cases. With a class action, the lead counsel controls the case instead of your individual lawyer.
How do you fight for class action, mass tort, and MDL claimants?
Our Arizona personal injury lawyers:
- Work to determine what type of multi-victim claim is being filed.
- Review whether you are a member of a class in a class action case, and whether you should submit a claim, object, or opt out.
- Work with the lead counsel in whatever type of combined claim you have (class action, mass tort, or MDL).
- Work with your doctors to verify your diagnosis, understand the full range of medical care you need, the cost of your care, and all the ways your injuries are affecting every part of your life.
- Assess all your other damages.
- Coordinate your claim with the lead counsel or pursue your claim individually, depending on how the court combines/handles the cases for all the victims.
Do you have an Arizona class action lawyer near me?
Our Phoenix office is conveniently located at 316 E Flower St., Phoenix, AZ 85012. We also have an office at 5500 S Lakeshore Dr., Tempe, AZ 85283.
We also consult with clients by phone and through online video platforms. We can meet you at your home or another location if your injuries prevent you from traveling.
We’re here to answer your questions and explain how these complicated claims work.
Get help from our experienced Arizona class action lawyers now
Verderame Law Group Arizona Injury Lawyers has been fighting for accident victims since 1991. We understand the unique challenges involved in class action, mass tort, and MDL claims. For help now, call our Phoenix personal injury lawyers or fill out our contact form today to arrange a free consultation.
We handle class action, mass tort, and MDL claims on a contingency fee basis.