The length of class action lawsuits varies greatly, with some taking months and others taking many years. In general, most class action lawsuits are resolved in two or three years, although they may take longer if an appeal is filed. The question of how long class action lawsuits last is complex and there is no definitive answer, as it depends a lot on the nature of the case. Ideally, plaintiffs' attorneys can reach a settlement before the case goes to trial, but even this can take anywhere from nine months to a year.
Cases that end up going to trial can last two years or more. In many situations, a class action lawsuit has several advantages compared to filing several individual lawsuits, but speeding up the process is often not one of them. Some class action lawsuits can take anywhere from a few months to several years. These types of cases usually take about two or three years to resolve, while others can take even longer.
When court rulings are appealed, the process takes even longer. If you resolve a class action lawsuit, you could receive compensation within a year. However, keep in mind that this is just an estimate. Some cases take much less time, but in other cases you may wait much longer for it to be resolved.
The time it takes to complete a lawsuit will vary from case to case. However, a typical case that results in a settlement offer can take anywhere from 18 months to two years to complete from the initial filing of the lawsuit. Cases that go to trial or cases involving class action lawsuits will take longer to complete. While a specific number is not required to file a class action lawsuit, very few participants can prevent courts from certifying a class action, in accordance with Rule 23 of the Federal Civil Rules.
If you're wondering if it's worth taking a class action lawsuit, you should keep in mind that every situation has unique factors. When the members of a class action lawsuit check the status of their case, they will be up to date on the legal processes, the news about the settlement, and whether a judge has been called to rule on the case. Class action lawsuits provide injured people with many benefits, such as allowing large groups of similarly affected people to come together and file a lawsuit against the same company. A class action lawsuit involves a group of people who have suffered similar effects or harm as a result of a negligent product, an environmental hazard, or a discriminatory practice.
The group's lead representative can attest to all of the plaintiffs involved in your class action lawsuit and can also work with your group's lawyer to gather as much evidence and people as possible to support your claim. In some cases, certain parties to a class action lawsuit have different interests or causes of action in the case, which are nonetheless related in some way to the main topic. How long it will take to receive compensation for a class action lawsuit, if you qualify, will depend on when you filed the case and the severity of your losses. If there are many disputes about the facts of the case, they can increase the amount of time needed to determine a class action lawsuit.
One factor that can cause class action lawsuits to last longer is procedural delays, which are common in virtually any type of litigation. There are numerous factors that come into play in any litigation, and class action lawsuits are no exception. Once the lead plaintiff hires an attorney and the lawsuit is filed, they must ask the court to certify the case as a class action lawsuit. Like a class action lawsuit, a mass tort involves a large number of plaintiffs with a common cause of action or reason for taking legal action.
There is no definitive time frame for resolving legal disputes at the heart of a class action lawsuit.
