Does My Case Qualify for Class Action Status?
People have a right to live and bring up their families in an environment that is safe and not harmful to their health and well-being. There are a great many laws at the state and federal levels that are meant to regulate and control the actions and behavior of utility companies. They were designed to ensure that people can breathe fresh air, drink clean water, and live in homes that are free of toxic material. The utility companies know these laws well. And most of them abide by them to the letter. But there are always a few that break the law and put people’s lives in danger in pursuit of greater profits.
If you and your family have taken ill and you believe it owes to the illegal actions of a utility company, you can fight back. It is not right that you and the people you love be made to suffer because a few wealthy people want to make more money.
You can build up a case and sue. But before you do that, you should hire an experienced attorney who specializes in environmental toxicity cases. The very moment you file a lawsuit you will become a target of the company. Utility companies maintain armies of lawyers, and they will do their best to suppress your claim and get your suit thrown out of court. That is why you must have a legal strategy, or the beginnings of one before you even file suit, and the right lawyer can help you.
In some cases, others who have been affected by the recklessness and negligence of the company have already joined together in a class action suit. If your illness seems to stem from the same source as theirs, then you can become party to that suit. It may also be the case that you are the first one who is willing to take a stand against the utility company, which puts you in the position of initiating what may become a class action suit if you can get others to join you.
A class action lawsuit is defined as one in which a group of people with similar illnesses or injuries caused by the same product or corporate misbehavior band together to sue a company. It is an excellent means of consolidating lawyers and evidence. It is also the best way for people who have suffered catastrophic, life-changing illnesses to get the compensation they need and deserve.
The great thing about a class action lawsuit is that giant corporations cannot easily discount a large number of claims by people suffering from the same symptoms or illnesses and who happen to live within the same geographic area. As the claims multiply, the value of the compensation that the company will be told to pay increases. It usually works out that the people who have suffered most and for longest end up with a larger sum of money than they would receive through an individual settlement with the utility company.