Mass Tort Litigation

A Mass Tort Litigation is a collective legal action that coordinates individual plaintiff claims against common defendants.

• AKA: Mass Tort, Mass Tort Action, Mass Tort Case, Large-Scale Tort Litigation.
• Context:
  • It can typically involve product liability claims from defective products affecting numerous plaintiffs.
  • It can typically maintain individual damage assessments unlike class action lawsuits.
  • It can often utilize multidistrict litigation (MDL) for pretrial coordination.
  • It can often require extensive scientific evidence and expert testimony.
  • It can involve bellwether trials to establish settlement values.
  • It can require plaintiff steering committees to coordinate litigation strategy.
  • It can result in global settlements or inventory settlements.
  • It can range from being a Small-Scale Mass Tort Litigation to being a Large-Scale Mass Tort Litigation, depending on its plaintiff count.
  • It can range from being a Single-Product Mass Tort Litigation to being a Multi-Product Mass Tort Litigation, depending on its product scope.
  • It can range from being a Regional Mass Tort Litigation to being a National Mass Tort Litigation, depending on its geographic reach.
  • It can range from being a Emerging Mass Tort Litigation to being a Mature Mass Tort Litigation, depending on its litigation stage.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Pharmaceutical Mass Tort Litigations, such as:
    • Opioid Mass Tort Litigation involving addiction claims.
    • Vioxx Mass Tort Litigation for cardiovascular injurys.
    • Talcum Powder Mass Tort Litigation for cancer claims.
  • Medical Device Mass Tort Litigations, such as:
    • Hip Implant Mass Tort Litigation for device failures.
    • Transvaginal Mesh Mass Tort Litigation for surgical complications.
    • Hernia Mesh Mass Tort Litigation for product defects.
  • Environmental Mass Tort Litigations, such as:
    • Asbestos Mass Tort Litigation for mesothelioma claims.
    • Camp Lejeune Mass Tort Litigation for water contamination.
    • PFAS Mass Tort Litigation for chemical exposure.
  • Consumer Product Mass Tort Litigations, such as:
    • Roundup Mass Tort Litigation for cancer allegations.
    • 3M Earplug Mass Tort Litigation for hearing damage.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • Class Action Lawsuit, which uses representative plaintiffs rather than individual claims.
  • Individual Product Liability Case, which involves single plaintiff rather than mass plaintiffs.
  • Single-Event Litigation, which stems from one incident rather than widespread harm.
  • Contract Dispute, which involves breach of agreement rather than tort claims.
  • Regulatory Enforcement Action, which involves government plaintiff rather than private plaintiffs.
• See: Collective Legal Action, Product Liability, Multidistrict Litigation, Plaintiff Firm, Bellwether Trial, Plaintiff Steering Committee, Class Action Lawsuit, Tort Law, Pharmaceutical Litigation, Environmental Litigation, Personal Injury Law.

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