If you get into a car accident, you’ll call a personal injury lawyer. The same is true if you’ve been bitten by your neighbor’s dog. These cases are handled relatively quickly. They’re usually settled within a few months of filing your claim.
There are other types of cases that can’t be handled in small claims court. These are cases against corporate defendants. These are cases that involve multiple plaintiffs pursing the defendant for a similar injury.
Mass tort lawyers don’t handle cases involving minor bumps and bruises. They don’t handle neighbor disputes. They handle large cases involving large pools of plaintiffs, and work hard to get those people justice and compensation.
An experienced mass tort lawyer spends years learning the ins and outs of personal injury law. They practice handling the smaller cases so that they can be prepared to handle the larger cases, and study under other experienced lawyers. They are experts at evaluating evidence and in investigating causes, so they know what it takes to prove your case.
What are the Most Common Types of Mass Torts?
In mass tort cases, there are a number of plaintiffs who’ve filed suit against a common defendant. Rather than make each individual plaintiff pay for a separate case, the judge combines the cases. This way, the plaintiffs can pool their resources and put up a good case against a large, corporate defendant.
Some of the most common types of cases include:
- Medical Device Cases – These cases are similar to the dangerous drug cases. Certain medical devices, including hernia mesh, end up causing dangerous medical issues to the patients who use them.
- Defective Products – When manufacturers sell products that are dangerous, people get hurt. Some of these cases involve products like lawn mowers and power saws. They also involve defective cars and children’s toys.
- Disaster Torts – These cases involve large train and plane crashes. When a lot of people are injured in a single disastrous event, they can file a mass tort action.
- Pharmaceutical Cases – When pharmaceutical companies put out dangerous drugs, they hurt a lot of people. Some of the more recent drug cases involve Xeljanz, Xarelto and Taxotere.
- Toxic Torts – These cases involve people who were exposed to dangerous chemicals or substances. If you’ve ever seen the movie “Erin Brockovich”, you’ll have a good idea of what these types of cases entail.
If you or your loved one have been injured in any of these types of cases, you may need to call an experienced mass tort lawyer. They can evaluate your case and see if you fit the group of people already involved in the litigation. If you’re interested in learning more about how damages divided in a class action lawsuit, visit this page.
Who Are the Defendants in Mass Tort Actions?
The defendants in mass tort actions are who you think they are. They’re typically large corporations with lots of money. They would be able to bury a single plaintiff in lawyer fees and paperwork. This is one of the reasons why these cases are consolidated.
Some of the typical mass tort defendants are:
- Airline companies
- Drug manufacturers
- Car manufacturers
- Chemical plants
- Tobacco companies
The defendants in these cases have unlimited legal resources. They can drag the litigation along for years. They do whatever it takes to keep from settling these cases, because they would rather spend millions defending a case as long as they can continue to sell their products.
For example, let’s look at the Round Up cases against Monsanto. There has been litigation going on for years. Last year, a very large jury award was granted to a groundskeeper in California. Rather than pay the judgment, the company filed motions to get part of the judgment set aside.
The defendant knew that the plaintiff in this particular Monsanto case was dying of cancer. They purposely dragged the case out as long as possible. To date, the plaintiff and his family still haven’t received any money.
Call an Experienced Mass Tort Lawyer
If you’ve been injured and you think you need a mass tort lawyer, you should call right away. There are strict deadlines in every state when it comes to filing a personal injury claim. There are also windows in which you need to join a mass tort action.
Call and schedule your free initial consultation today. An experienced mass tort lawyer can review your case and let you know how strong it is. He can also let you know what your case may be worth. The consultation is free and you pay nothing until you settle your case.
