How is a class action lawsuit defined?

A class action lawsuit is defined as a legal action filed by a group of individuals who have common claims against a single defendant or a group of defendants. This mechanism allows numerous people who have suffered similar harm, often due to the same actions of a corporation or entity, to collectively bring a lawsuit. The strength of a class action lies in its ability to consolidate numerous individual claims into one case, making it more efficient and often more cost-effective for plaintiffs who may not have the resources to pursue claims individually.

In this type of lawsuit, one or several plaintiffs can represent the interests of the group, known as the "class." This is particularly beneficial in situations where the individual claims may be too small to warrant separate lawsuits, yet collectively represent a significant issue, such as consumer fraud, environmental disasters, or workplace discrimination.

Other options reflect different legal actions that do not meet the definition of a class action. A single individual suing a corporation pertains to an individual lawsuit, while copyright infringement cases are specific to intellectual property law, and lawsuits initiated by government agencies cover public interest matters, which do not involve collective claims by private individuals.