Drelles v. Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit issued a decision agreeing with Public Justice that consumers who opted all of their claims out of a nationwide class action settlement with MetLife cannot be barred from fully prosecuting their individual cases against the company. MetLife had sought an injunction preventing the opt-out litigants from taking any discovery or asserting any claims in their individual claims relating to illegal nationwide sales practices at issue in the class action settlement. Public Justice Senior Attorney Leslie Brueckner and Ken R. Behrend of Pittsburgh were co-counsel.
Case Documents
Decision
U.S. Supreme CourtRecommendation of a federal magistrate judge
Reversing his earlier recommendation that plaintiffs who opted out of a nationwide class action settlement with MetLife should be barred from pursuing their individual claims. Public Justice had intervened on behalf of the opt-out litigants, successfully arguing that the initial recommendation contradicted the opt-out rights allowed under the Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23(b)(3) and was contrary to due process and the federal Anti-Injunction Act.
Plaintiffs' reply brief
Regarding plaintiffs' motion for summary judgment.
Objections
Our objections to a proposed nationwide tobacco settlement that would have virtually extinguished all present and future tobacco-related litigation against the Liggett tobacco company.
Circuit Court, Mobile County, Alabama
Docket: 97-913
