We all know that there truly is "strength in numbers." Sometimes certain claims lend themselves to large, combined actions such as mass torts and class actions. In such cases, Harvath Law Group, LLC is experienced in helping all of the related victims recover. When a large group of victims want to sue a common tortfeasor in a single lawsuit, the victims' lawyer must ask the court for permission to file a mass tort or class tort action.
A mass tort is a single tort or related series of torts that result in injury to many victims. A mass tort action is different from a class action. In a mass tort action, each plaintiff has an individual claim resulting from distinct damages, and each plaintiff receives his or her own, separate trial. On the other hand, in a class action the many plaintiffs typically are not considered individually and there is only one trial. Generally, most mass tort and class action cases relate to some form of negligence, and the most common types are the following:
• Consumer product claims: Many plaintiffs might sue together seeking compensation for injuries (or even deaths) caused by dangerous products, like malfunctioning car parts, dangerous toys, or contaminated food.
• Pharmaceutical claims: Many drugs, even despite rigid testing and approval requirements, may have unfortunate health consequences that later lead to their removal from the market and liability for the pharmaceutical company that created the dangerous drug.
• Environmental torts: When an entity does something that damages the environment, the consequences can be far reaching. From oil leaks that contaminate sea water, destroying fishing and beach tourism, to ground water pollution that exposes nearby residents to toxic chemicals, environmental torts can create injuries as diverse as their causes.
Regardless of the type of tort underlying a class or mass action, our attorneys have the experience and know-how to prosecute either form of action if appropriate.
