Legal Question in Consumer Law in Pennsylvania

Class Action Suit Advice

I received a letter notifying me that I have the right to be a claimant in a class action suit that is being brought against the parent company of my former auto insurance company. Are there any risks or disadvantages in participating in this suit? Will there be anything on my insurance or credit reports which may later work against me (in the same way that filing an insurance claim works)? I'd like to receive a part of the money awarded, regardless of how small, but don't want any fallout from it. Please advise on a good way to proceed with this.


Asked on 12/04/06, 5:22 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
William Marvin Cohen, Placitella & Roth, P.C.

Re: Class Action Suit Advice

Our firm handles class action cases. I'm not aware that any credit reporting agencies or insurance index bureaus track who participates in class actions and I don't really see how that could be used against you. Typically it's an "opt out" class action, so you don't even have to respond to the initial notice. If there's a settlement or recovery you may have to submit a claim form, and obviously you need to be accurate in submitting information. Otherwise, the only reason not to participate is if you wanted to bring a claim on your own, whcih is usually impracticable; that's why we have class actions, so that small claims can proceed against these well-funded defendants.

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Answered on 12/04/06, 5:32 pm


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