Class action cases have arisen in a wide variety of circumstances and have alleged a wide variety of claims. The most common areas of law in which class action lawsuits have been brought include:
- Securities fraud litigation
- Employment discrimination
- Product liability claims
- Unfair wage claims
- Claims of price-fixing
- Claims of environmental contamination
Class action lawsuits have a long history of being successfully used to obtain compensation for serious injuries and damages suffered by millions of Americans. Such lawsuits have been brought to address damages caused by defective products, environmental disasters and massive securities fraud. Some of the more famous class action cases include the following:
- Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska
- Collapse of Enron
- Diet drug Fen-Phen
W.R. Grace & Co. for environmental contamination in Woburn, Massachusetts (made famous by the movie A Civil Action)- Tobacco companies for concealing the dangers of smoking
- Leaking breast implants
- BP Gulf oil spill
- Pacific Gas & Electric for environmental contamination in Hinkley, California (made famous by the movie Erin Brockovich)
- Hurricane Katrina
- Vioxx
- Securities fraud by Tyco International, MCI Worldcom, Adelphia Communications, and AOL-Time Warner
Many class action lawsuits have resulted in the recovery of millions of dollars for the plaintiffs, whether through a settlement or jury verdict. Examples include the following:
- $7.2 billion total settlement in lawsuits alleging fraud leading to the collapse of Enron
- $2.4 billion settlement in securities fraud class action against Nortel Networks
- $671 million jury verdict in class action alleging inadequate staffing at nursing homes
- $624 million settlement in class action lawsuit against Countrywide Financial relating to alleged securities fraud
- $500 million judgment against Exxon relating to the Exxon Valdez oil spill
- $323 million settlement of class action against DeBeers alleging antitrust violations relating to the price of polished diamonds
- $175 million settlement in class action against Novartis alleging sex discrimination claims
- $140 million settlement in case alleging price-fixing in sale of compact discs
Free Consultation About Class Action Litigation
Individuals who have been the victim of corporate wrongdoing through exposure to defective drugs or medical devices, securities fraud, discrimination, or in other forms may be eligible to file a class action lawsuit or join an existing case. To find out more and learn whether you may qualify to join a class action, contact the law firm of Heygood, Orr & Pearson by calling toll-free at 1-877-446-9001, or by filling out the free case evaluation form located on this page.