A civil lawsuit could become a “class action suit” when a plaintiff chooses to sue on behalf of a group. For example, a company might release a defective product, so a class action lawsuit seeks to recover damages for all those harmed. A Washington, DC resident might read about a class action suit and realize he or she might have a claim. Logical questions then arise about getting involved in a class action matter.

Joining a class action lawsuit

Surprisingly, someone wishing to join a class action lawsuit does not need to take any bold steps. Anyone with a “legal interest” in the class action becomes a party to it. Unless the person chooses to opt-out, he or she could file a claim on the suit.

Of course, the person has to maintain a legitimate connection to the suit. If the lawsuit involves people who purchased a particular product or took a specific unsafe medicine, only those who bought the product or used the medication would be eligible to file a claim.

Learning about a class action lawsuit

While many people might have a valid claim, they might not know that a class action matter applies to them. Keeping an eye out for press releases about class actions seems advisable. Hopefully, those affected by the lawsuit will receive a notice in the mail or their email inbox.

Performing due diligence seems advisable when receiving a notice about a class action suit. That is, the recipient might take steps to make sure the message is legitimate and not a phishing scheme or another scam.

If the notice is legitimate and applies to the recipient, filing a claim for a portion of the settlement may be the necessary step to take. Claimants may benefit from filing a proper claim that facilitates a swift payment.