Clifford A. Rieders
Partner, since 1975
Areas: Litigation; Medical Malpractice; Personal Injury; Products Liability; Professional Liability; Torts; Aviation & Aerospace; Civil Practice; Federal Practice and Appeals; Constitutional and Civil Rights; Class Actions; Dram Shop Liability; Railroad Law
Class actions, as well as multi-district litigation, are a very specialized species of law. Many different types of cases can be brought either as class actions or multi-district litigation. The class action and consolidated lawsuit mechanism can apply in federal or state court. There are specialized procedural rules which permit many people, groups of people or groups of claims to be lumped together so they can be handled in a more efficient manner. There are very specialized ways that class actions in multi-district cases are handled. We have been involved in such cases in both federal and state court. We are currently handling a consolidated action venued in Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, with respect to alleged overcharging by hospitals for medical records electronically produced. We have been involved in class actions. We are currently handling a DuPuy hip litigation matter which is a multi-district case in Ohio. When a court certifies a case as a class action or for multi-district, or consolidated, purposes, there are many important management functions which follow. There are special rules with respect to notification of class action members, and even how attorney’s fees may be handled. The current political climate makes class actions more difficult than they used to be. Nevertheless, there certainly are cases that are appropriate for such treatment and we look at those cases very carefully and with a keen eye towards whether a case may be appropriate for such status.
