Media & Publications

December 28, 2007

Statisticians, Start Your Engines: Emerging opportunities for expertise in class action

A class action is a lawsuit brought on behalf of a large group of people whose complaints against an offending party contain common issues of law or fact. Class action suits have long been big business in the United States, glamorized by movies such as Erin Brockovich and Michael Clayton. Although the Canadian experience with class action suits has reflected a much more reserved attitude, the number of such suits has steadily grown in the last two decades. A 2007 decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal, reviewed in this article, showcases expanded opportunities for statisticians to assist the courts in resolving issues of damages in the multi-faceted array of class action causes making their way through the courts. 

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