Myths and Realities of Class Action - Essay Example

Class actions can also be referred to as ‘multi-district litigation’ or ‘mass tort litigation’. Class actions usually occur in civil cases. A small class or group of plaintiffs-named-or a plaintiff files a lawsuit on behalf of several thousand or a larger group of unnamed plaintiffs who share common grievances caused by similar actions, products, or defects such as consumer products, pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, and motor vehicles.

People have also submitted class actions about corporate misconduct, employment practices, consumer fraud, and securities fraud. A class action is the best way of handling cases with similarly situated and multiple plaintiffs. This is so because, many times, many people have suffered similar or the same injuries and their injuries are minor, as such, they might not independently pursue legal redress. However, there are instances in which it may be impractical to submit individual lawsuits, especially when the number of those affected by defective products or conduct of actions is high (Hensler, 2001).