A mass tort is a civil action involving multiple plaintiffs against one or a few corporations in state or federal court.
The three main categories of mass torts include:
- Mass disaster torts
- Mass toxic torts
- Product liability torts
In United States federal courts, mass tort claims are often consolidated as multidistrict litigation (“MDL”). The United States Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation decides when multiple lawsuits should be consolidated into an MDL. The panel is appointed by the chief justice of the Supreme Court of the United States and consists of seven members. Multidistrict litigation is a special procedure in which federal civil (noncriminal) cases from around the country are transferred to one court for the management of the litigation during the pretrial and discovery process. In 1968 Congress created the MDL system in order to coordinate federal complex litigation filed in multiple districts. The goals of MDL are to make the litigation process more efficient. By consolidating the discovery proceedings and pretrial motions, the parties can potentially save significant time and money.
There are many dangerous drugs out there. Here are some of the mass torts we work with:
- 3M Earplugs
- Actos
- Asbestos
- Bair Hugger
- Benicar
- Benzene
- Breast Implants
- Essure
- Gadolinium
- Invokana (SGLT2)
- JUUL Lawsuits
- Mesothelioma
- PPIs
- Roundup
- Taxotere
- Transvaginal Mesh
- Talcum Powder
- TDF
- Xarelto
Any kind of drug lawsuit requires review by an experienced attorney. Doctors and pharmacies rarely admit to fault, and are often defended by large insurance companies with unlimited funds. Only an experienced personal injury attorney has the skills to handle a case like this. An attorney can take depositions, subpoena records, hire expert witnesses, and more.
Mass Tort litigation is specialized and differs in many respects from non-mass tort litigation. At the Falkowitz Law Firm, we have the experience and knowledge necessary to successfully pursue mass tort cases on behalf of our injured clients. If you think you might have a mass tort claim, please call us for a free consultation.