Class Actions Law Firm in Pittsburgh PA
At Tarasi & Tarasi we have been involved in representing individuals, businesses and entities in class action litigation for over 30 years.
- injuries caused by a variety of pharmaceuticals
- medical monitoring cases
- shareholder derivative lawsuits
- breast implant injuries
- toxic exposure
- fraudulent charges
- environmental spills and exposures
- medical devices
- unfair business practices
Often, class action lawsuits may be subject to multidistrict litigation (MDL) consolidation. Our attorneys have experience with MDL matters to include having served on steering committees for class action litigation issues throughout the United States.
What is a class action? A class action is a type of lawsuit in which the claims and rights of many people are decided in a single case. Specific plaintiffs are named in the lawsuit to assert the claims of the entire class so that everyone with the same claim or injury doesn't have to file their own separate lawsuit. Also, because they allow people whose damages are too small to warrant an individual lawsuit to try their cases together, class actions can often be the only practical way to stop illegal practices and recover ill-gotten gains. Class action suits have allowed individual people to stand up against the most powerful industries in the world and to hold them accountable for their actions.
What types of cases can be brought as class actions? The typical class action lawsuit involves a situation where a large group of people is injured by the same conduct. There are four primary types of class action lawsuits:
- Securities Class Actions: Securities class actions are typically brought on behalf of a group of investors who have been injured as a result of a improper conduct, such as misstating earnings, concealing or misrepresenting risks, or otherwise engaging in activity detrimental to a company, partnership, or individual investors.
- Product liability/Personal Injury Class Actions: Product liability and personal injury class action lawsuits are generally brought when a defective product, such as a drug with harmful side effects, or "mass accident", such as a toxic spill harms many people.
- Consumer Class Actions: Consumer class actions are generally brought when consumers are injured by a company's systematic and illegal practices. Examples include illegal charges on bills, illegal penalties for late-payments, and failure to comply with consumer protection laws.
- Employment Class Actions: Employment class action lawsuits are typically brought on behalf of employees of a company for violations of the Labor Code, such as unpaid overtime, failure to provide breaks, as well as claims ranging from safety violations to systematic workplace discrimination.
How does a case become a class action? A class action is generally initiated by one or more people who feel that they, along with a group of other people, have been wronged. A lawyer then files suit on behalf of the individual(s) and the class. At the appropriate time, the class actions law firm lawyer files a motion asking the court to formally recognize the case as a class action. If the court grants that motion, the other people who were similarly wronged are notified of the class action and are given an opportunity to participate in the class action as a member of the "class."
How do I choose a class actions law firm in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania? There are many very good class action attorneys in the United States. Because class action law is fairly specialized, you should look for an attorney with significant class action experience. Additionally, because there are many different types of class actions, look for a lawyer who has specific experience in the type of class action you wish to bring. Make sure you understand what's expected of you as the class representative, and always insist on a written representation agreement.
For a free consultation with the class action lawyers at Tarasi & Tarasi, call us at 412-567-4529, or toll free at 800-893-6000, or contact us online. We are available to meet with clients in the evenings and on weekends.
