In certain employment situations, a large group of individuals can be adversely affected by situations. In particular, an employer can systematically discriminate against a certain class of individuals, or to withhold pay against some sections. In this case, a class action lawsuit provide a remedy to seek damages for past wrongs.

A class action lawsuit has many advantages over filing alone. Class action lawsuits work to increase the efficiency of the legal process and lower legal costs for all parties by grouping the plaintiffs together. As well, class action suits can speed up the legal process by cutting down on repetition and redundancy in the process.

Another benefit of aggregation of plaintiffs is that while each individual may have a minor claim against an employer that is too small to bring to court, collectively the group of employees might have a significant claim against the employer. This ensures that if a defendant has wronged a large section of individuals, that they will be held responsible and made to pay damages to all plaintiffs.

Damages from a class action lawsuit are generally split into punitive and compensatory damages. Compensatory damages make up for the harm sought in the case, such as payment for injury, lost wages, or other situations where the company was liable for a particular harm and should pay. Punitive damages on the other hand are meant to punish the company for the behavior, and to discourage future illegal behavior.

If you have a situation where you and your fellow co-workers have been denied overtime, back pay, or other discriminatory employment practices, contact us today to evaluate your legal options and pursue your case.

The Harman Firm, P.C. serves the New York metropolitan area including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester, White Plains, Nassau and Suffolk Counties.