Mass tort

A mass tort is a civil action involving numerous plaintiffs against one or a few defendants in state or federal court. The lawsuits arise out of the defendants causing numerous injuries through the same or similar act of harm (e.g. a prescription drug, a medical device, a defective product, a train accident, a plane crash, pollution, or a construction disaster).

Background

Law firms sometimes use mass media to reach potential plaintiffs. In U.S. federal courts, mass tort claims are often consolidated as multidistrict litigation. In some cases, mass torts are addressed through a class action.

Categories

The main categories of mass torts include:

• Medical device injuries
• Motor vehicle defects
• Prescription drug injuries
• Product liability injuries
• Toxic contamination

In popular culture

• John Grisham (2003). The King of Torts. Delta. ISBN 978-0385339650.

Further reading

• Nagareda, Richard A. (2007). Mass Torts in a World of Settlement. Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226567600.
• Dunbar, Frederick D.; Martin, Denise; Dhrymes, Phoebus J. (1996). Estimating Future Claims: Case Studies from Mass Tort and Product Liability. Wayne, Pennsylvania: Andrews Professional Books. ISBN 978-0963624680.
• Jack B. Weinstein (1995). Individual Justice in Mass Tort Litigation. Northwestern University Press. ISBN 9780810111882.
• Mullenix, Linda S. (2008). Mass Tort Litigation: Cases and Materials (American Casebooks) (2 ed.). Thomson West. ISBN 978-0314232311.
• Sanders, Joseph (1998). Bendectin on Trial: A Study of Mass Tort Litigation. University of Michigan Press. ISBN 978-0472096015.
• Paul V. Niemeyer and Anthony J. Scirica, ed. (1999). Report on Mass Tort Litigation. Diane Pub Co. ISBN 978-0756705039.

External links

• Mass Tort Litigation Blog
• Anatomy of a Mass Tort
• Understanding Mass Personal Injury Litigation
• Cutting-Edge Approaches for Managing Mass Tort Litigation in the New Millenium (sic)