What is a class action certification?

A class action certification is a decision made by a court to group together a group of individuals into one lawsuit. This type of lawsuit is typically used when it would be too expensive to bring a claim on behalf of every single person affected by the same issue. The plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit are referred to as the "class," and they can either be a group of people or a single corporation. In California, a class action must be certified by a court in order to move forward. For a class action to be certified, the court must decide that the following criteria have been met: 1. The class is so large that a single lawsuit will be more efficient than multiple lawsuits; 2. There are common questions of law and fact which affect the class; 3. The claims and defenses of the class representatives are typical of the claims and defenses of the class; 4. The class representatives would fairly and adequately represent the class. If these criteria are met, then the court will certify the class action, meaning that it can move forward. Once the class action is certified, all of the individuals in the class will be notified, and the legal process can begin in earnest. Class action lawsuits can provide large-scale relief to individuals and organizations who would otherwise be unable to win the justice they deserve. By allowing the case to proceed as a single unit, the class action process ensures that the same issue can be addressed by a single court, ultimately leading to a more efficient legal process.

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What is a class action certification?

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