Who Can File a Class Action Lawsuit?
By Timo Bakker · July 3, 2026 · 5 min read
You do not need any special credentials to be the named plaintiff in a class action lawsuit — you just need to have been harmed by the same conduct as thousands of other people. Here is the mechanic and what the role actually involves.
The technical requirements
- You must be a member of the class you want to represent — i.e., you were personally harmed the same way the class was.
- You must have "standing" — a concrete injury (financial loss, privacy violation, etc.), not just abstract disagreement.
- Your claim must be "typical" of the class's claims.
- You (and your counsel) must be able to "adequately represent" the class.
You do not need to hire your own lawyer first
Class action plaintiffs' law firms actively look for named plaintiffs. If you were harmed by a company's widespread conduct, a search for "[company] class action lawsuit" often turns up multiple firms already investigating. Reach out to them; they take these cases on contingency.
What being a named plaintiff involves
- Your name goes on the lawsuit and becomes public record.
- You get deposed — a session where the defense lawyers ask you questions under oath about your experience. Usually a few hours in a lawyer's office.
- You may need to give testimony at hearings or trial (rare, since most cases settle).
- You get a "service award" at settlement time — typically $1,000-25,000 depending on case size and effort involved.
You do not have to be a named plaintiff to benefit
Most people are just regular class members — automatically part of a class action if they fit the class definition, no signup or ID required. That is who this website (and app) is for. See our explainer on class actions.