Even if you hear about a class action through a news story or advertisement, you should seek out more information about the harms suffered by the plaintiffs in the class.


You often can find information about class action lawsuits by typing "class action" and the name of the drug that caused you problems into a general web search engine.
You can narrow your search by including a description of the side effects you suffered or the medical condition that the drug worsened. This can be particularly helpful if there are multiple class action lawsuits involving the same drug.
There also are several websites that serve as online databases of class action lawsuits. Most of them have a category devoted to dangerous drugs.
Drugwatch.com is one such website entirely devoted to harmful drugs. The site not only has a searchable index of class action lawsuits, but also other drug information such as FDA recalls., Use court documents or statements made by the attorneys to evaluate the case, rather than news reports or advertisements.The attorney representing the plaintiffs may have created a website devoted specifically to that particular case. These websites can be treasure-troves of information about the injuries suffered by the plaintiffs in the class and the status of the case.
Stick to primary sources such as posts created by the plaintiff's attorneys or actual court documents. Other information may be inaccurate or include incorrect interpretations of the lawsuit's claims.
 You can only join the class if the injuries you suffered asa result of taking the drug are identical or similar to those suffered by the plaintiffs.The lead plaintiff represents the class as a whole, so you should compare your injuries to those he or she suffered.
You also must compare the cause of your injuries. Typically it's not a problem if your particular injuries were different, as long as they were caused by the same side effect from the same drug.
For example, suppose an undisclosed side effect of a drug you were prescribed exacerbated your diabetes. You still may fit in the class even if the plaintiff suffered different injuries – provided they were caused by the same undisclosed side effect.
However, you may not fit into the class if the lawsuit is about a different side effect that you didn't experience – even if your injuries were similar.
If the cause of both your injuries and the lead plaintiff's injuries was the same, but your injuries were substantially greater, you might want to consider either starting your own lawsuit or become a named plaintiff in the class action already underway.
 The attorney representing the plaintiffs can include you in the class's registry.Even if you're on the class registry, the attorney must have your name and address if you want regular updates on the progress of the case and want to receive your share of any eventual award or settlement proceeds.
You also may want to provide the attorney with any information you have that you think might be helpful to the case, such as medical records related to your injury.
If you were prescribed the drug for a different reason than the named plaintiffs, call the attorney and let him or her know. If they were unaware of the fact that people who were prescribed the drug to treat something else experienced similar injuries from the same side effect, this could open up a whole new group of plaintiffs to add to the class.
Search online for class actions.
Analyze the information you find.
Determine if your problem is similar.
Contact the attorney listed.
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