You’ve probably received a piece of mail or two with “CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT” written across the top in dark bold type. Maybe you took a moment to read what the lawsuit was about, but chances are you tossed it into the trash with the other junk mail. Some disregard these letters as scams trying to get you to give out your personal information. What you may not know is that many of these are real, and you could be missing out on a pretty large claim by throwing them away.
Companies dole out millions of dollars in settlements of class action lawsuits each year, but only a small percentage of entitled people claim their awards. Many times this is due to the fact that consumers have little or no knowledge about the lawsuit at all. For this reason, Consumer Action, an organization that aims to empower those underrepresented consumers to financially prosper, created the Class Action Lawsuit Database. The website lists notable class action lawsuits so that consumers can check to see if they maybe be eligible to participate. Through the website, you can learn more about a lawsuit, join a pending action, or make a claim of your own.
Currently, there are active lawsuits involving companies such as Starbucks, Vizio, Sony, Honda, and Whirlpool. It is important that you read the terms of the suit thoroughly. Some require proofs of purchase in order to claim your part of the settlement. Though, this is not the case for others.
Since a good number of people are usually involved in these types of situations, it is the lawyers who end up making the most money. That said, just the threat of the lawsuit itself scares companies into owning up to any of their wrongdoings. If nothing else, it keeps them honest.
If you are certain that you are eligible to participate in a class action lawsuit found on the database, then do not hesitate another second to join a pending suit. You want to act fast to claim your money before time runs out. Any unclaimed funds ends up going to consumer organizations, like Consumer Action. On the other hand, if you apply for a part of a settlement that you know you should not receive, you could be accused of fraud. Be sure to read all information before going for a piece of the pie.
