What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a class member in a class action lawsuit?

“I think as a class member, it’s a way to get smaller damages back without taking the risk of litigation, so if you have $500 in dispute, the class member is able to get either all that money back or a percentage of that money back without doing the risk or the time of litigation. I think some disadvantages are simple. If you have highly specialized, individualized damages, you took a drug, and drug normally didn’t affect people, but in this case for some reason, your arm fell off because you had that, that would be such a unique damage that you might not want to be in the class member because your individual damages may be worth more on your own.”