Opinion ID: 2205488
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Superiority Requirement Has Been Met

Text: ¶ 44 In determining whether superiority has been met, the district court should consider: (A) the interest of members of the class in individually controlling the prosecution or defense of separate actions; (B) the extent and nature of any litigation concerning the controversy already commenced by or against members of the class; (C) the desirability or undesirability of concentrating the litigation of the claims in the particular forum; (D) the difficulties likely to be encountered in the management of a class action. Utah R. Civ. P. 23(b)(3). ¶ 45 The district court analyzed each of the four factors individually and determined that a class action would be superior to individual actions. First, it found that each class member's claim would be too small to be worthwhile to litigate separately. Second, it found that there would be little effect on competing litigation. This finding was based on the fact that the claims severed from this litigation are not based on the same issues and questions. Third, the district court found that resolution of the case in a single forum would be desirable to ensure consistent verdicts and to further judicial economy. Fourth, it found that difficulties would not likely be encountered in the management of the class action. Each of these findings is supported by the record and is within the discretion of the district court. ¶ 46 The Car Dealers argue that among the representatives, there are twenty-five other lawsuits which will proceed regardless of the decision in the class action claims, and that the Purchasers have a strong interest in pursuing the class action claims in these individual lawsuits. However, it would be extremely inefficient to require each class member to pursue the certified questions in individual actions; furthermore, it might lead to inconsistent results. Thus, the interests of concentrating these actions in a single forum outweigh the interests of requiring the plaintiffs to pursue the class action claims in their individual lawsuits. ¶ 47 Next, the Car Dealers argue that management of the class action will prove impossible. They claim that resolution of the certified questions will require individual inquiries into the particular circumstances of each class member's experience. As discussed above, the district court found that the issues were not dependent on the individual facts of each case, but that the questions were common to each class member. It was not an abuse of discretion for the district court to find that a class action would be superior to individual litigation.