How is a class action lawsuit certified?

A class action lawsuit is a court proceeding in which a group of people, known as a “class,” join together to bring a legal claim against a party or parties. In Washington, in order for a class action lawsuit to be certified, the class must meet certain requirements. First, the class must include a large number of people whose legal claims are similar. This means that the plaintiff (the person bringing the claim) must have enough information to prove that the class has suffered the same injuries, or been affected by the same actions, by the defendant. Second, the class must have an identifiable class representative, usually the original plaintiff. The class representative must have the same legal claims and injuries as the members of the class. Third, the class must be able to be represented “adequately,” that is, the claims of the class must be able to be represented uniformly. Even if the class meets all of these requirements, the court may still deny certification if it is not in the interests of justice. Additionally, the court may consider whether class action is the most efficient or effective way to resolve the issue. Finally, the court may require that class action be certified in certain cases, known as “mandatory” certification. If the class meets all of these requirements, the court can certify the class action lawsuit.

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How is a class action lawsuit certified?

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