What characterizes a class action lawsuit?

A class action lawsuit is characterized by a legal action that is filed on behalf of a larger group of individuals who have similar claims or grievances against a defendant. In this type of lawsuit, one or more plaintiffs represent the collective interests of the group, allowing individuals who might not have the resources to individually pursue litigation to seek justice together. This is particularly important in cases where the claims are relatively small on an individual basis, but significant when aggregated, such as in consumer rights, environmental issues, or employment disputes.

In contrast, the other options focus on different legal concepts. Individual claims, as noted in the first option, refer to personal lawsuits where each individual seeks redress separately. The third choice addresses criminal cases, which typically involve the government prosecuting an individual for violating the law, and thus do not pertain to class action principles. The last option concerns property disputes, which can happen in many legal contexts but don’t specifically align with the characteristics or purpose of a class action lawsuit.