Sharon Parker, age 14, of Asbury Park, N.J., for her question:

WHAT IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT?

A class action suit is a judicial proceeding in which one or more individuals sue on behalf of a group having similar claims. Such a group is called a class. An example of such a suit could come about when many consumers pay an unreasonably high price for a product because its few producers agreed illegally to charge similar prices. Most purchasers could not afford an individual lawsuit to recover the overcharge, but they might pool their claims and file a class suit to collect damages from the companies.

In the United States, people first used class suits to recover money owed them in bankruptcy cases.

During the 1950s and 1960s, civil rights groups used class action to fight school segregation, job discrimination and housing and voting restrictions.

During the 1970s, some class actions attacked price fixing. Suits were also filed by environmental protection groups to protest oil spills and other public nuisances.