[GRAPHIC: Righetti Glugoski, P.C., ATTORNEYS AT LAW, Don't Settle For Less, www.RighettiLaw.com]
MATTHEW RIGHETTI: Class actions were developed to create efficiencies for people with common legal or factual questions. After a class-action complaint is filed, the parties conduct discovery and pursue investigation in preparation for a class certification motion to be filed in court. Once the court certifies the case, then the case moves forward to a class-action trial, where all the common legal and factual issues will be adjudicated in one setting.
The foundation for a class-action trial is the use of representative evidence. When you prepare class action, you're looking at what representative evidence can be used to try the case so that each class member does not need to come into court to testify.
When we file a class action, we have two goals in mind. First is to get compensation for our clients. And the second is to stop the practice on a going forward basis so it doesn't happen to others.
Because the stakes are much higher in a class action, it's important that class counsel have the experience and financial resources necessary to take the case the distance. Handling class actions give individuals a louder voice. When an individual files an individual case, many times the defendants take very little notice. But when a group of individuals files a class action, that's a horse of a different color.
[GRAPHIC: Righetti Glugoski, P.C., ATTORNEYS AT LAW, www.RighettiLaw.com, 800-447-5549, 415-983-0900, 456 Montgomery St. | Suite 1400, San Francisco, CA 94104]