The class action lawsuit is a legal innovation that has led to great increases in judicial efficiency. Some class action lawsuits, especially those based on product liability, add thousands of plaintiffs. In many cases, you have to do nothing, or next to nothing, to share in any payout. It’s important that you know about the lawsuit, however, and there are ways of finding out. Sometimes, you might have to take action to ensure a payout.

Common Types of Class Action Lawsuits Involving Personal Injury

Following is a list of common types of class action lawsuits involving personal injury:

  • Defective medical devices,
  • Defective pharmaceuticals,
  • Toxic chemical exposure,
  • Defective auto parts,
  • Consumer product defects,
  • Mass environmental disasters,
  • Product recall injuries,
  • Mass tort claims,
  • Food poisoning,
  • Occupational diseases.

This list is not even close to being exhaustive. Keep in mind that class action payouts are small sums in many cases due to the multiplicity of plaintiffs. You should take the following six steps if you think you might be eligible for a class action lawsuit.

  1. Identify Active Class Action Lawsuits

Thousands of class action lawsuits are ongoing at any given moment in the United States. To find out if any of them might concern you, check ClassAction.org or the Illinois Attorney General’s website. You also need to identify the lawsuit’s claims administrator so that they can be your contact person for the lawsuit.

  1. Find Out If You’re Eligible

Are you an eligible plaintiff? Check your email and your “snail mail” to see if anyone has notified you that you could be a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit. To see if someone has notified you by publication, check the Chicago Daily Bulletin.  If you find anything, check the exact wording that describes the class of plaintiffs and see if you actually do fall within its boundaries. Even if you receive notification, you might not actually be a qualifying plaintiff.

  1. Visit the Settlement Website

Some class actions require you to take positive action to opt into the lawsuit by filing a written claim. You should do so if it is required to participate in the lawsuit, assuming you want to be a plaintiff. The best way to keep ahead of any red tape that you need to take care of is to visit the settlement website of the class action lawsuit in question. Almost any lawsuit will have a settlement website. 

Your first task will be to determine what paperwork you need and the filing deadline for this paperwork. Of course, you might want to opt out of the lawsuit to file your own individual claim. This option, too, may or may not require paperwork. If it does, there will be a submission deadline.

Remember that you might not need to file any paperwork at all. You might seek to opt in, for example, and opting in might be automatic as long as you take no action.

  1. Consider Talking to a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer 

Should you need a lawyer, your choice of which lawyer to hire might just turn out to be the most important decision you make in your entire case. When in doubt, it is a good idea to at least consult with a personal injury lawyer with experience in class action suits. Your lawyer can help you with the next step below.

  1. Gather Documentation and Complete All Paperwork

Collect whatever documentation you need based on what type of lawsuit you are dealing with and whether you wish to opt in or opt-out. Keep copies of everything for your own records.

  1. Periodically Monitor the Status of Settlement Proceedings (or File Your Own Lawsuit)

Your lawsuit is more likely to settle out of court than go to trial. Either way, you need to keep up with what is going on. Go back to the source where you originally learned of the lawsuit, and check it periodically to see if there has been a settlement or verdict. 

You Might Need a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer to Help You 

You are most likely to need a personal injury lawyer if you have decided to opt out of a class action and pursue your own individual claim. This makes perfect sense in many cases, even though it takes a lot more work. You might even need an attorney if you don’t choose to opt-out. Contact a Chicago personal injury lawyer with Powell and Pisman Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation to discuss your options.

Contact our Personal Injury Law Firm at Powell and Pisman Injury Lawyers

If you’ve been injured in an accident in Chicago, IL, don’t navigate the legal process alone. Our dedicated team is here to provide the expert guidance you need to secure the compensation you deserve. Contact our experienced attorneys at Powell and Pisman Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.

We serve Cook County and its surrounding areas:

Powell and Pisman Injury Lawyers
875 N Dearborn St 4th Floor
Chicago, IL 60610

(312) 635-5400
Open 24/7