Seen At 11: Experts Explain How You Can Claim Cash From Class-Action Settlements

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- What if we told you that you were owed some money – maybe just a few dollars, but possibly even thousands?

From robocalls to faulty products, CBS2's Kristine Johnson reported Friday night on how class action lawsuits can be an easy way to claim your cash.

"Normally, you get bills in the mail," said Shivan Bassaw, who filed the class-action suit. "This time, you get a check in the mail."

And Bassaw said it was a sizable check.

"It was north of a thousand dollars," Bissaw said.

It came as a settlement of a class-action lawsuit from AOL.

"When I got that, I was really motivated to look for others," he said.

So Bassaw began checking out websites like TopClassActions.com -- one of several that track class-action law suits and related news.

"There was stuff you didn't know you qualified for," he said.

He recently found a case for a shredder from Staples for which he is eligible. The claim took just a minute to file.

Bassaw said in the last 10 years, he has received various settlements totaling about $6,000.

Marilyn Brown won a class-action settlement for nearly $1,500. Her dog, Spot, was sickened by some dog treats, and she got money not only for the item, but most of her vet bills too.

"Getting three fourths of it was much better than getting nothing," Brown said.

She also checks on line for eligible class actions, and said she has received about $1,000 in the last several years.

"I got a lot of little ones – $10, $50," she said.

"In all likelihood, there is more than one lawsuit currently on our site that maybe affects you because you bought a product; because you were involved in some situation – it's out there," said Patrick Hanan, cofounder of ClassAction.org.

Hanan said there is tremendous interest in class actions now.

"Someone took action on your behalf and now you're entitled to it," he said. "You're entitled to a piece of whatever the settlement is. You're entitled to kind of stand up yourself and make your voice heard."

Robocalls are another area where there have been some sizable settlements. Attorney Jason Turchin mentioned one for Carnival cruise lines for which he is participating in class-action litigation.

"With the robocall with the cruise lines was so great and easy that you could just put your number in and it tells you, it sort of tells you if you won," he said.

Turchin is a participant in this class action litigation, and an attorney with this advice...

"My suggestion is pay attention to every piece of mail you get that deals with class actions," he said. "It can be worth money."

There is verification for most, but not all class action claims. If you think you might be eligible for money from a class-action suit, find out more at the links below.

TopClassActions.com
ClassAction.org
ClassActionRebates.com
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