Class Action Lawsuit Calculator

Class action settlements are negotiated as a total fund divided among class members. Individual recovery equals the total fund divided by the number of valid claims, less attorney's fees (typically 25–33%). Cases with large aggregate damages but many class members often yield lower individual recoveries than individual litigation.

Effective class actions involve: data breaches, defective consumer products, securities fraud, antitrust violations, large-employer wage theft, false advertising, and consumer protection violations. Class actions work best when many people have suffered similar but individually small harms that would not justify individual lawsuits.

Class actions typically take 2–5 years to resolve. Class certification alone can take 1–2 years. Large complex cases involving securities fraud or antitrust claims can take significantly longer. Most class actions settle once certification is granted, as the defendant's exposure becomes much clearer.

For federal class actions, you are automatically included unless you opt out. Once you accept a class settlement, you release your individual claims. If your damages are significantly larger than the typical class member's, opting out to pursue individual litigation may yield substantially greater recovery.