Class actions are lawsuits brought by a representative member(s) of a large group of persons on behalf of all the members of the group who have suffered identical or similar harm for which the same defendant may be liable -- such as a defective product class action against a manufacturer or an employment discrimination class action against a large company.
Beverly, Washington is a small community along the banks of the Columbia River in central Washington state. The community, which consists of a few hundred residents, is just a few miles downriver from Wanapum Dam and is nestled at the base of what locals call Sentinel Gap, a huge basalt formation that juts out into the river.