An example of a class action would be people all over the country who have been hurt by a product and who sue the manufacturer in one single action. The rationale behind such suits is that both plaintiffs and defendants benefit by having one large lawsuit rather than hundreds or thousands of individual ones. The Class Action Law Chapter describes class action lawsuits. In preparation for trial, parties often gather information from one another and from other sources. This period of information gathering is known as discovery .
Discovery can take a number of different forms.
The vast majority of cases settle before the parties reach the courthouse steps. Sometimes the cost and effort of preparing for trial will persuade parties to reevaluate their positions. Another way a lawsuit can be concluded before reaching trial is through a summary judgment . If, after the complaint and answer have been filed, it is clear that there is no dispute concerning the facts, only the parties' interpretation of the facts, then the judge will grant a motion of summary judgment and make a decision by applying the facts to the law. However, if there is a genuine dispute about the facts in the case and the parties are not interested in settling, they will proceed to trial.