What is the difference between a class action lawsuit and a citizens’ suit?

Class action lawsuits and citizens’ suits are both forms of civil litigation. A class action lawsuit is typically brought against a company or other entity for a form of wrongdoing. The individuals who make up the class—known as the “class representatives”—must have suffered an injury or other harm of the same type as the other members of the class. Any resulting settlement or damages are usually awarded to the class as a whole, rather than to individual members of the class. A citizens’ suit, on the other hand, is a type of lawsuit brought by a plaintiff who is not a party to the dispute or injured. Instead, the plaintiff is acting on behalf of the public at large and in the interest of enforcing a law. The plaintiff does not usually receive a settlement or damages as a result of the suit, but instead seeks to bring about a desired change in the law or policy. In Idaho, class action lawsuits and citizens’ suits are generally tried in state or federal court. Depending on the particular lawsuit, either the state court or the federal court will have jurisdiction to hear the case. To succeed in either type of lawsuit, the plaintiff must prove both the facts of the case and the law upon which the claim is based.

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What is the difference between a class action lawsuit and a citizens’ suit?

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