When asking how long a class action lawsuit will take, there is no set timeline, especially when dealing with more substantial claims surrounding dangerous drugs manufactured by pharmaceutical companies.

The legal process sometimes resolves quickly, but in many cases, investigation, litigation, negotiations, and expert witness testimony will be needed. Your attorney will be better placed to give you an accurate estimation of what you can expect. But if you are waiting for a settlement and your bills and other expenses are starting to add up, there may be a solution available, read more here.

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Here are some factors that can impact the class action lawsuits timeline.

Due to the nature of class actions, they are generally more complicated than a standard personal injury claim as the class can contain a variety of different plaintiffs and defendants. Things that can impact the length of the transaction may include:

The time it takes to locate witnesses. Attorneys from both sides will most likely seek expert witness testimony from the drug companies, its developers, researchers, marketers, and executives as well as independent economists, scientists, and physicians.

Collection of and investigation of all the evidence. Depending on the size of the class action, it will usually require significant amounts of evidence such as company documents and plaintiffs’ medical records that can take time to locate and analyze, organize, and collect.

These are only the initial factors involved in the claim; as the case progresses, more factors can lead to further delays.

Filing the initial papers will take time as your attorneys will tell you there is no room for error.

Analyzing any discovery, once the case has been filed, the defendants will be required to present documentation and facts that are pertinent to the situation.

Depositions will need to be taken
Initial trial motions will be heard
Settlement negotiations may stall the case
If the case goes to trial, this will take more time
Even if the assessment is awarded, further appeals could delay this

Some other factors to consider that might impact a class action timeline

As the whole process continues, many plaintiffs will feel that there are significant amounts of time where nothing seems to happen. For months they feel little, or no activity takes place. But what you don’t see is the amount of work is going on behind the scenes. All of it will prove vital first successful class action claims, but it all adds to the timeline.

You should always be wary of any attorney from a Law firm who promises you a swift settlement or trial. Regardless of their experience and knowledge, they may be able to give you an idea of the timeline based on previous experience. Still, they are in no position to guarantee a settlement before a specific date.

Something you can do to help speed up the process

Make sure that the claim is filed within the statute of
Always follow your attorney’s
Keep an open and honest line communication with your
Do not fail to disclose any vital information at the outset, as if this is discovered later on, and it could lead to a significant delay in the class

We hope this article will help clear up some of the questions surrounding class action lawsuits and the length of time that is taken to settle.