What You Should Know About Mass Torts

“Tort” is not a word that is spoken very often in our everyday life. Unless you spend your leisure time with a lot of lawyers, you might not have even heard of a tort before. A tort is a civil wrong committed by one person that results in injury to another. Assault, battery, trespass, hit-and-run’s and many others fall under the wide umbrella of torts. There is a smaller category of tort though, known as a “mass tort”.

A mass tort is a single tortious event that results in injury to many victims. It is easy to get this mixed up with a class action lawsuit, but they are not the same. A class action lawsuit is a large group of plaintiffs that are treated as a singular group and there is one trial to deal with all their damages. A mass tort, on the other hand, is a collection of individual claims. Each plaintiff receives their own trial for their own distinct damages. Two popular examples of mass torts are the litigations regarding asbestos poisoning [1] and agent orange [2]. In both instances, the plaintiffs had a wide range of effects from their exposure to the chemicals. Some plaintiffs were severely injured whereas others had more minor injuries. All of them, regardless of the severity of the injury received compensation.

A mass tort does not have to be a high-profile case like the two mentioned here. It can be a car accident with multiple vehicles. This is perhaps the most important part for you as the reader to know about mass torts. You do not want the compensation you deserve to be lost because you did not realize the available options for recovery. Take the car accident for example, even if you are not the individual most badly hurt in the situation you still can recover along with the other individuals for the injuries you sustained. It can be an advantage for you as a plaintiff in that situation as well because the preparation and investigation that goes into a mass tort claim is transferable from one client to another.

As you might imagine though, mass torts can become a tricky dispute to take part in. There are several legal tests you must pass to even qualify for a mass tort and then there is the case itself. This is why it’s best for you to seek out legal aid from professional attorneys who have experience in this area. At Oliver Law Firm we have years of experience litigating complex cases and representing clients who have suffered from personal injuries. With our representation, you can rest assured that we will go the extra mile to provide you the legal help you deserve. Our office is located just West of I-49 at Exit 81, just off Pleasant Grove Road in Rogers, Arkansas. Give us a call at 479-202-5200.

We serve Rogers, Bentonville, Springdale, Lowell, Bella Vista, Centerton, Decatur, Highfill, Cave Springs, Gravette, Pea Ridge, Fayetteville, Huntsville, Berryville, Eureka Springs and all of Arkansas.

[1] USLegal.com

[2] Agent Orange Lawsuit, Sponsored by: Miller Legal LLP