This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
# Class Action Lawsuits: Basic Requirements
Before a group of people can team up to sue someone as a class action, the case has to meet four basic tests. These tests make sure a class action actually makes sense instead of everyone filing separate lawsuits.
First, there have to be so many people involved that it would be unrealistic to bring them all into court individually. Second, the people in the group need to share common legal or factual issues, meaning their claims are connected in some meaningful way. Third, the people representing the class need to have claims that look similar to what everyone else in the class is dealing with. They can't be representing the group if their situation is totally different.
Finally, the people acting as representatives have to be capable of looking out for the whole group's interests, not just their own. Courts want to see that the representatives and their lawyers will fight hard for everyone in the class, not just settle for something that benefits themselves while leaving others shortchanged. If a case meets all four of these requirements, it can move forward as a class action instead of many separate lawsuits.
