Scandalous Facts About Class Action Lawsuits
"Class action lawsuits are an important part of our lawful system. All citizens should have the right to band together and settle grievances with bigger companies, but that system is broken and it needs fixing".—Thomas Carper.
When a group of citizens bands together and uses their collective power to sue another party, usually a corporation or large organization, it is known as a class action lawsuit.
Predominantly an American lawful action, class action lawsuits are a modern innovation which has shaped the way justice is served in the Western world.
Allowing for groups of people to seek justice in a more economically and speedy way, in which not everyone needs to be present, class action suits continue to rise in popularity, despite their critics.
So, how far have people taken this lawful endeavor? Keep reading to find out!
39. McLibel
The longest trial in British history occurred from a civil suit which has been dubbed the McLibel Trial.
Two British vegetarians had passed around a leaflet with claims against McDonald's in the 1990s that the fast food company believed to be libelous. McDonald’s subsequently sued the two activists and would win their case.
However, due to the nature of the case and its length, there was a media fiasco which embarrassed the company. Even though the judge ruled in their favor, he berated the company for their exploitative and damaging business practices.
38. Part II
Because every good show needs a sequel, there was actually a McLibel 2, and this time the activists won in the European Court of Human Rights!
The second time around, the court ruled that the United Kingdom government had to pay the two activists compensation because the laws of the country did not properly protect citizens from the right to openly criticize large corporations.
37. Tech Battle
There is a currently an ongoing lawsuit between the two electronic titans Apple and Samsung, in which each is arguing over smartphone who has the rights to the patent designs.
This lawful battle touches many different countries, at one point the two tech giants were battling in 50 different cases involving billions of dollars around the world.
36. Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade was the landmark case that provided American women with the right to get an abortion. However, there was never actually a woman named Jane Roe.
Instead, it was a lawful pseudonym used by Norma McCorvey in order to protect herself during the proceedings.
After the decision was handed out, McCorvey stated that she sought the abortion because she was suffering from depression and was unemployable.
She also claimed that she had actually been used as a pawn by ambitious, young lawyers Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington who were seeking a plaintiff that would allow them to challenge Texas' abortion laws.
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