As class action lawsuits have become more and more prevalent in recent times, a number have gained the attention of the media and the general public. Perhaps the most famous class action lawsuit is the one dramatized in the film Erin Brockovich, in which a law clerk’s tireless research led to a successful class action taken against Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). This toxic tort case involved deliberate acts of deception on the part of PG&E, who lied to residents who lived near a power plant in Hinkley, California, as to the hazards of a dangerous chemical that was seeping into the local water supply.
In December 2008, retail giant Wal-Mart announced that it would settle several class action lawsuits brought against the company by employees claiming that they were forced to work during breaks and “off the clock.” The company will pay these employees approximately $640 million overall.
One of the largest scale class action lawsuits is currently being filed against drug manufacturer Merck over illnesses and deaths linked to use of their drug, VIOXX®. Thousands of people have filed claims against the company, and although the company has said that they would fight each one, there is the possibility that they could end up paying consumers hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars.
Perhaps the “hottest” class action lawsuit right now is one that has not been, and may never be, filed: iPhone® users against Steve Jobs and Apple. Thousands of consumers have voiced complaints over the fact that an iPhone® can be “locked” if not used according to the exact specifications of Apple, and a few of these unhappy consumers have been using Internet forums to generate interest in joining a class action lawsuit. While such a lawsuit may never occur, it does suggest that the class action lawsuit has truly become a popular modern phenomenon.
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