Why choose to be a member of a class action lawsuit rather than file an individual mass tort claim?

Often large corporations will charge fees to individuals that they are not allowed by law to charge. For example, a bank or credit card company may charge each customer an unallowable $2 per month fee. If the bank or entity has 10 million customers and they charge that monthly fee to each customer, the bank will make $20 million per month. However, the $2 per month fee would not be enough for anyone to file an individual lawsuit. However, if these individuals band together in a mass tort lawsuit, they may pursue the corporation in a legal action. Nonetheless, attorneys’ fees and costs for mass tort litigation can run into hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars, depending on the type of case. As such, an individual may choose to be a part of a class action settlement rather than be part of a mass tort case.