Consumer Class Action Lawyers in Philadelphia

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What is a Class Action Lawsuit?

In a consumer class action lawsuit, a small number of plaintiffs represent a larger group of individuals who have similar claims, combining what may have been thousands of lawsuits into a single legal action.

Consumer class action cases are often useful in challenging major corporations, which otherwise have the financial and legal resources to stifle such claims. For decades, we have successfully represented clients from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and across the country, recovering hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements.

On This Page

• Types of Class Action Lawsuits
• Advantages of Class Action Lawsuits
• Components of a Class Action Lawsuit
• When Will Your Lawsuit Reach a Settlement?
• We Go Toe to Toe with Large Corporations
• Successful Cases
• Frequently Asked Questions

Types of Consumer Class Action Lawsuits WE HANDLE

If you have been defrauded by deceptive banking or credit card practices, exposed to a dangerous chemical, or suffered a breach of personal information, our nationally respected consumer class action attorneys in Philadelphia at Golomb Legal can help you file a lawsuit.

Our consumer protection lawyers in Philadelphia have successfully represented numerous consumers in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States in cases involving bank fraud, credit card company fraud, and consumer fraud cases such as:

Due to the complexity of consumer class action claims and the resources necessary to prosecute them, many law firms decline such cases. However, other law firms know they can count on the lawsuit attorneys at Golomb Legal and often refer major class action cases from across the nation to our team.

Advantages of a Consumer Class Action Lawsuits

There are numerous advantages to consumer class action lawsuits. Injured plaintiffs in a consumer class action lawsuit are allowed to join together, thus streamlining the litigation process and taking less time from the courts. Plaintiffs can share resources as well, such as evidence, expert witnesses, and the costs of litigation.

In addition, consumer class action lawsuits allow consumers to seek justice against large corporations more effectively even when the consumer did not individually lose a lot of money.

This often leads directly to a change in how a corporation or company operates, thus improving safety for all consumers. While the threat of an individual victim may not change the behavior of the corporations, the fear of a class of thousands and sometimes millions will.

You have rights as a consumer. Learn more about your options during a free initial consultation with a lawsuits lawyers in PA at Golomb Legal. Call (215) 278-4449.

Components of a Consumer Class Action Lawsuit

Unlike your typical lawsuit, a consumer class action lawsuit involves a large group of plaintiffs combining their resources against a defendant or defendants that have wronged them.

In order to enact a consumer class action suit, the following must be proven:

• The group harmed is large enough that it would be impractical to conduct individual cases; and
• Common issues exist in each case and the attorney (or attorneys) will be able to represent all parties within the class action

If these prerequisites are established, it’s important to understand the complex components of a consumer class action lawsuit:

• Filing the Case: Once the legal team analyzes all the available information and determines a case can be made, a consumer class action lawsuit can be filed by the group’s lawyer.
• Certification: After filing the case, the court then determines the variables for the case and whether or not it qualifies for a consumer class action. In addition, the court may suggest discovery, which is a pre-trial procedure used to gather evidence for a lawsuit.
• Objections: If the case is certified and the judge rules on the parameters of the class action, the defendant has the option to object the validity of the claim or whether the plaintiffs are appropriate representatives.
• Announcements: Once the defendant has the opportunity to object and be heard by the judge, the case is announced to the public. This allows parties who may be affected by the issue to become aware of the litigation and potentially join the class action lawsuit and receive compensation.
• Settlement: Many times, the defendant in a consumer class action lawsuit will settle the case out of court, providing compensation to the plaintiffs. However, if they refuse to settle, the case will go to trial, which can take a few months to over a year to resolve. Whether the case is settled or goes to trial, a judge must approve the final disbursement to the plaintiffs to ensure they are compensated fairly.

How Long Does a Consumer Class Action Lawsuit Take?

People who belong to a class in a pending class action lawsuit understandably will want to receive their portion of any winnings sooner than later. But how reasonable is it to expect a consumer class action to conclude quickly?

Will it actually be a while before seeing any money from a consumer class action lawsuit, assuming that it ends in the plaintiffs’ favor? Since class actions usually involve many parties, complicated injuries or financial damages, and a large corporation as a defendant, they do tend to take more time to close than a typical personal injury claim.

The following three aspects could add significant time to the overall duration of a consumer class action lawsuit:

• Multiple parties and plaintiffs: Many parties means there will be more people to converse with and consult to ensure all the claims are lining up and match the description of the class action. Discovering that a portion of the class members do not actually fit appropriately into the class action could jeopardize the entire case. Class action attorneys should not be rushed when identifying potential class members to minimize the chances of such a problem.
• Complex damages: The harm caused to class members in a class action lawsuit is often more intricate than expected, such as when a consumer class action is created due to a data breach that leaked client data to the world. Researching the problem, pinpointing liability, and calculating a fair compensation amount takes time. Even if the class action regards something as straightforward as a defective product that has been hurting consumers in all the same way, it could be a while before the total of all damages is known with confidence.
• Powerful defendants: Filing any sort of complaint against a corporation or government agency, as is often the case in a consumer class action, usually starts off as an uphill legal battle for plaintiffs. Big companies and organizations protect themselves with teams of attorneys at all times. If you want to break through their defenses, you need to work with a confident, experienced, and capable attorney of your own.

How To Start A Class Action

Starting a class action starts with these 6 steps:

1. Identify the issue: Determine if your case involves a common legal issue that affects a group of individuals who share similar claims or grievances.
2. Gather evidence: Collect relevant documents, records, or other evidence that support your claim and demonstrate the commonality of the issue among potential class members.
3. Find a qualified attorney: Seek the assistance of an experienced class action attorney in Pennsylvania at Golomb Legal who specializes in this area of law.
4. Class certification: Your attorney will file a motion for class certification, requesting the court to certify the case as a class action. To do this, it must be demonstrated that the case satisfies all necessary legal standards, including numerosity, commonality, typicality, and adequate representation.
5. Notice to potential class members: If the court certifies the class, notice must be provided to potential class members to inform them of the lawsuit and their right to participate or opt-out.
6. Litigation: The lawsuit proceeds through the litigation process, including discovery, motions, and potentially trial, with your attorney representing the interests of the class.

Our Philadelphia Consumer Protection Lawyers Go Toe to Toe with Large Corporations

Large corporations and commercial entities often have deep pockets and large legal teams on their side. They routinely put profits before consumer safety and use evasive tactics to elude the blame and the subsequent liability for their actions. When this occurs, the consumer is often left feeling like there is no hope-no way to win against these Goliath industries.

Luckily, this is far from the truth. Through class action litigation, consumers can band together to build a solid case against these large corporations. These types of lawsuits challenge even the toughest corporation and bring unwanted and often negative publicity to their company.

Consumer class actions allow consumers the chance to level the playing field and take on large corporations who harm consumers through their carelessness, negligence, and apathy. This, in turn, creates a safer tomorrow for other consumers.

Since we opened our doors, the Philadelphia consumer class action lawyers at Golomb Legal have been going toe-to-toe with large corporations-and we have won time and time again.

Our firm has the resources to tackle these complex and massive cases, and we have served as lead counsel and co-counsel in numerous cases vindicating the rights of consumers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and across the United States.

Achieving Success in Challenging Class Action Cases

Our consumer class action lawyers have prevailed against large corporations and other entities including:

We have the resources, wisdom, and tenacity to fight these organizations as they attempt to limit the compensation you deserve through evasive tactics such as prolonged litigation.

We have decades of experience helping consumers take on large corporations. Since 1998, our firm has served as counsel in numerous cases that have reached half-billion verdicts and settlements for individuals and consumer class action clients.

Our Consumer Class Action Lawyers ARE on Your Side

If you suffered harm due to deceptive financial practices, chemical exposure or a data breach, contact Golomb Legal for your free case consultation. Consumers who have suffered because of a company’s negligence or fraudulent behavior need an experienced and skilled consumer class action attorney on their side.

Class Action FAQs