California 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.

In California, you have 4 years from the date of the incident to file a lawsuit. Missing this deadline permanently bars your right to recover — act promptly and consult an attorney before the deadline approaches.

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.