Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza today granted class-action status to local Aerosmith fans who sued the band over the cancellation of last year's concert on Maui.

Class-action status increases the potential damages that Aerosmith would have to pay should they lose the suit. The threat of a big payout can provide consumers with more leverage to force a settlement.

The local fans sued Aerosmith last year, alleging the group canceled a sold-out, Sept. 29 concert in favor of a larger concert in Chicago and "a lucrative, private concert for Toyota car dealers" that same week at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa's Les Murakami Stadium.

Attorney Brandee Faria, who filed the lawsuit, previously estimated that the cancellation cost ticket buyers anywhere between $500,000 and $3 million for travel costs, handling fees and other nonrefunded costs.