The New York Times today has a report that says striking a deal is the way to go ina lawsuit, especially for plaintiffs. A trial is rarely the right choice.
You can find it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/08/business/08law.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=plaintiffs&st=cse&oref=slogin
A followup story also is running on National Public Radio's Marketplace today. You can listen in here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93420269&sc=emaf