John S. Poulos joined Sacramento, California’s Lewis Bisbois Bisgaard and Smith, LLP, in 2013 and continues to support the firm as a partner in the litigation practice group. His work with the Sacramento-based, globally operating law firm includes class action lawsuits, breach of contract cases, and employment decimation.

1. AN INTRODUCTION
TO CLASS ACTION
LAWSUITS
John S. Poulos

2. INTRODUCTION
• John S. Poulos joined Sacramento, California’s Lewis Bisbois
Bisgaard and Smith, LLP, in 2013 and continues to support the
firm as a partner in the litigation practice group. His work with
the Sacramento-based, globally operating law firm includes class
action lawsuits, breach of contract cases, and employment
decimation.
A class action lawsuit, alternatively referred to as mass tort
litigation or multi-district litigation, is a lawsuit brought against a
defendant not by an individual, but rather a large group who
have suffered identical or similar injuries and damages as the
result of using the same product or service. Alternatively, a class
action lawsuit may result from widespread misconduct, such as a
corporation engaging in illegal employment practices or
securities fraud.

3. CLASS ACTION
• Class action lawsuits often occur when the injuries or damages
sustained by an individual are relatively minor and not enough to
justify the time and expenses associated with a court case, but
are so prevalent that a compelling case can be drawn by
numerous plaintiffs. In fact, class action lawsuits sometimes
involve so many claims that it becomes impractical to try each
individual case. The class action process is not only more efficient
for plaintiffs, but helps attorneys put together a more convincing
case.
Class action lawsuits have resulted in some of the highest
settlement numbers and verdicts of all-time. In 1998, a number of
major tobacco companies settled for $206 billion to address
medical costs for smoking-related health conditions. Other
notable defendants to payout large settlements include BP, which
paid $20 billion after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, and Volkswagen,
which doled out $14.7 billion following an emissions test scandal.