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Canada's Class Action Lawyers

Slater Vecchio LLP is a British Columbia and Quebec-based class action law firm that has represented individuals across Canada in a wide array of cases. Class action lawsuits in Canada are a growing field, and Slater Vecchio LLP is a leading firm in this new space. Our class action lawyers are constantly reviewing new potential cases to help protect individuals such as yourself.

When an individual has been injured by a dangerous product, has been wronged by an unfair contract or deal, has paid the price for anti-competitive business practices, or has had their privacy violated, they may not have the ability to pursue recourse to the Courts on their own. This is where class-action lawsuits come into play.

A Class Action Lawsuit in Canada is a type of civil lawsuit where an individual files an action on behalf of a group of people. Class Actions are incredibly valuable in situations where it would be too expensive for each individual that was harmed to sue individually.

A class action allows named plaintiffs to proceed with legal action on behalf of the entire group, or ‘class’, of affected persons (known as class members) making the proceedings financially feasible when they may not be otherwise. These common issues for the class members are advanced together as one case, providing each affected person with access to justice and holding the wrongdoers accountable.

Class Proceedings have numerous steps until a settlement or decision is reached:

  1. A Representative Plaintiff files a proposed Class Action Lawsuit on behalf of a group of people who share a common issue. This document states what the action is alleging and explains how this wrongdoing occurred to a group of individuals. This document that is filed is known as the Notice of Civil Claim. After filing, the claim must be posted to a Canadian class action database.
  2. The Defendant(s) file a response to this claim. Typically, they will deny the allegations made in the Notice of Civil Claim. This document is known as the Response to Civil Claim.
  3. The Plaintiff, Defendant, and assigned Judge meet to discuss the steps of the case. This process involves the parties agreeing to a schedule for exchanging documents leading up to a Certification Hearing.
  4. At the Certification Hearing, the judge is tasked with determining if a class action is the preferrable avenue and if the claim has a basis in fact.
  5. After an action is certified, a new schedule leading up to trial is set, which once again involves the exchanging of documents between the parties.
  6. A trial occurs to determine whether there are common issues between the individual class members and to determine if there is liability on the part of the defendant.
  7. If so, the action moves to the damages stage, which likely results in settlement discussions. If a settlement is reached, the court must approve the class action settlement, following which a claims administrator is assigned to issue payment to all class members affected.

Some common types of class actions in Canada are:

Plaintiffs may seek compensation for damages caused by negligent design or manufacturing of a product, or failure to warn consumers of potential risks.

Plaintiffs may seek compensation against a defendant who allowed personal or confidential information or data to leak to an unauthorized party or parties, or who collected private information from individuals without permission.

Plaintiffs may seek compensation against a company or companies for wrongdoing in the area of business competition, such as price-fixing and other unlawful business practices.

Plaintiffs may take legal action in regard to any wrongdoing by companies offering financial securities.

Legal action by plaintiffs for wrongdoing towards consumers including deceptive and unfair practices by companies selling products and services in a wide range of circumstances.

With over 25 years of litigation experience, we have the resources, expertise, and know-how to guide our clients through the complexity of class action litigation in Canada. Our conviction and perseverance to seek justice for our clients is evident in our long-standing commitment to representing individuals who have been hurt, marginalized, or disadvantaged by the wrongful acts of others.

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We will use your personal information in accordance with our privacy policy. Contacting us does not create a solicitor-client relationship.