Moreover, the class action device was designed as an exception to the usual rule that litigation is conducted by and on behalf of the individual named parties only. Class actions specifically allow lawsuits to be conducted through representatives on behalf of absent class members. The purpose of class action litigation is to conserve the resources of both the courts and the parties by permitting an issue potentially affecting every class member to be litigated in an economical fashion. Class action lawsuits protect defendants from inconsistent obligations that may arise in multiple suits managed individually. By means of a class action, remedies for a group of people may be achieved when otherwise those people might never have a day in court.
Judicial economy is achieved by an efficient, uniform and final resolution of multiple claims.
Class action litigation may also be used to facilitate settlements involving massive numbers of claims among class members spread over a large geographic area. The class action has been recognized in the mass tort context as the manifest fair and expeditious procedure for disposing of claims. However, claims involving personal injury are subject to special considerations and limitations when resolution by class action procedures is contemplated. The same economies of scale and preservation of judicial assets are applicable when class actions are utilized in contexts other than mass tort actions. Class action lawsuits serve to promote judicial efficiency through the elimination of needless duplication and repetition that may result from hundreds or even thousands of people trying similar claims individually.