When someone is wrongfully injured by the negligence or recklessness of a third party, they deserve to be compensated for related or caused damages. How they end up pursuing that compensation, though, can be a challenging journey that begins with a question of how to begin at all. If you get hurt by someone and want compensation, should you start a personal injury claim or a class action? The answer lies in the differences between the two types of cases.
Personal Injury Claims for Individualized Cases
For the most part, a personal injury claim is best when the accident and injury in question is highly circumstantial and unique. There will be just one plaintiff filing against one or more defendants; most personal injury claims include just a single defendant, such as an insurance group or individual person, but it is possible to name several liable parties with one lawsuit.
You would likely use a personal injury claim for a car accident caused by a negligent driver, a slip and fall accident on your friend’s porch, and other examples of highly specific accidents.
Class Action for Widespread Problems
Within a class action, a handful of plaintiffs who have all suffered the same or similar injuries or damages band together to create on lawsuit against the defendants. This is an extremely useful legal tool, allowing what could have been thousands of eligible claims to all be managed at once, saving all parties’ time, money, and effort. If the liable party for a case is a corporation or government entity, it is often preferred to see if a class action is possible, since this can pool resources to take on a powerful defendant.
Many class action lawsuits originate from dangerous products that hurt many consumers, data breaches that jeopardize the finances of people around the country, and so on.
Philadelphia Attorneys for Injury Claims & Class Action Lawsuits
At Golomb Legal, P.C., we have the experience, knowledge, and know-how needed to help clients who have been wrongfully injured, whether they need to file an individual claim or a class action. Call 215.278.4449 to request a free consultation with our team. We can assist you from beginning to end, including deciding what type of claim you should file.