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Civil litigation

class actions

A class action is a type of lawsuit in which one or a few plaintiffs seek to represent hundreds or thousands of plaintiffs with the same or similar claims against the same defendants. Rules of procedure in state and federal courts permit class actions in limited circumstances for the purpose of resolving similar disputes more efficiently than if each plaintiff filed a separate lawsuit.

In Vermont, class action lawsuits are governed by Vermont Rule of Civil Procedure 23, which is similar to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23. These rules allow one or more plaintiffs to represent a larger group, or 'class', in a lawsuit if the class is so numerous that individual lawsuits would be impractical, there are questions of law or fact common to the class, the claims or defenses of the representative parties are typical of the claims or defenses of the class, and the representative parties will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the class. Class actions in Vermont can be used for a variety of claims, including consumer fraud, corporate misconduct, and environmental litigation. The purpose of a class action is to provide an efficient and economical means for large groups of individuals with common interests to seek legal redress and to ensure that defendants are held accountable when their actions affect large numbers of people.

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Civil litigation

class actions

Individual & Family Legal Plan

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Vermont State Code

Vermont State Code

Civil litigation

class actions

Articles