class action
noun phrase

- a lawsuit filed or defended by an individual acting on behalf of a group

(Oxford English Dictionaries)

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A CLASS ACTION is a lawsuit that allows a large number of people with a common interest in a matter to sue or be sued as a group. The class action suit began in the Equity courts of 17th century England as a bill of peace. English courts allowed a bill of peace to be heard if:

- the number of litigants was so large that joining their claims in a lawsuit was not possible
- the members of the group possessed a joint interest in the issue
- and the parties named in the suit could adequately represent the interests of persons who were absent from the action but whose rights would be affected by the outcome.

If a court allowed a bill of peace to proceed, the judgment that resulted bound all members of the group. Justice Joseph Story, who served on the U.S. Supreme Court from 1811 to 1845, advocated the development of the bill of peace in the United States.

CLASS ACTION suits have meanwhile become commonplace, with many of them demanding spectacular sums of money for damages. One of the most well-known was explored in Erin Brockovich, a film about a class action filed on behalf of the residents of Hinkley, California. They sued Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) for lying about using the chemical hexavalent chromium, which then seeped into the ground water and contaminated the water supply. Many of the town's residents became ill with cancer or had fertility problems. In addition, animals living in the small town died quickly.

Erin Brockovich, played by Julia Roberts in the film, extensively researched and documented the damages caused to Hinkley residents. Her dedication helped secure the successful verdict against PG&E.

(sources: Wikipedia)

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PRACTICE OWAD IN A CONVERSATION TODAY

Say something like:

"CLASS ACTIONS are more likely in the US than in Europe, although revelations about German companies may be changing that."