Anesthesia Care Assoc. Med. Group, Inc. v. Blue Cross of Cal.,
No. 986677, 994846 (Cal. Super. Ct Feb. 25, 2002)
The California Superior Court was asked to grant class certification to a group of anesthesiologists in their suit against Blue Cross of California for breach of contract. The court ruled that class certification is appropriate when (1) there is an ascertainable class, and (2) there is a well-defined community of interest in the questions of law and fact involving the represented parties. The court granted the plaintiffs' motion for certification, noting that cases involving widely used contracts of adhesion are ideal for class actions because the contracts are uniform, the same principals of interpretation will apply to each contract, and each member will share a common interest in the interpretation of the contract.