Class member
A class member is anyone who fits the description of the group covered by a class action and has not opted out.
Also called: class members, member of the class, absent class member, settlement class member
A class member is anyone who fits the description of the group covered by a class action and has not opted out.
What it means
A class member is a person or business that falls inside the group covered by a class action. The class definition says who is in. It usually points to what you bought or used, where, and when.
A few class members, the named plaintiffs, act as representatives for everyone else. The rest are often called absent class members, because they don't take part in the case day to day. In a damages class action, the court must order individual notice to every member who can be identified with reasonable effort. The notice has to explain who is in the class and how to ask to be excluded.
Being a class member is not the same as being paid. Whether you can claim money depends on the settlement terms and the claim deadline. Class members who don't opt out are generally bound by the final result.
What it means for you
You can be a class member without ever getting a notice. Companies don't always have everyone's contact details, so notice often also goes out through ads and the settlement website. What counts is whether you fit the class definition. Read it on the official settlement website, one piece at a time: the product or service, the dates, the place and any exclusions. If you fit, you can generally file a claim until the deadline. If you would rather keep your right to sue on your own, you have to opt out by the exclusion deadline. Owed compares your answers with the class definitions of open settlements; the administrator and the court make the final call.
Example
Say a class covers "everyone in the U.S. who bought a Model B blender between January 2022 and June 2024." You bought one in March 2023 and never got a notice. You are still a class member, because you fit the definition. Your friend bought the same blender in July 2024. She is not a class member, because her purchase fell after the end date.
FAQ
Read the class definition on the official settlement website or in the long-form notice. If you match the product or service, the dates and the place, you are a class member even if you never received a notice. The settlement administrator reviews claims and makes the final call on eligibility.
Yes. In a damages class action, people who fit the class definition are included automatically, which is why notices can arrive about cases you have never heard of. Unless you opt out by the deadline, you are generally bound by the result.
Related terms
- Fed. R. Civ. P. 23, Class Actions (Cornell Legal Information Institute)
- Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, as of Dec. 1, 2025 (U.S. Courts)
Updated Oct 18, 2026. Plain-English definitions for general information — not legal or tax advice.