There are various types of grievances, such as causing physical harm to someone, damaging someone’s property, or wrongfully denying someone their freedom.

Some actions, however, can be both a tort and a crime. For example, using force to cause bodily injury is a tort known as battery, and the perpetrator is liable to pay damages to the victim.

When a tort affects a significant number of people, it is known as a mass tort injury. This article explains this grievance and how it can impact personal injuries. If you want to learn more, please continue reading.

What is a Mass Tort?

Some grievances only impact a single individual or a small group of people, like car accidents or medical malpractice. However, some wrongs can affect numerous individuals, sometimes even hundreds or thousands of people who have all suffered harm from the same wrongdoing. 

A mass tort refers to an action or failure to act that causes injury or harm to many people. Examples of such actions include explosions, commercial airplane accidents, groundwater contamination due to toxic waste disposal, or pollution caused by industrial factories.

Numerous instances of mass tort can potentially harm a large number of people:

  • Defective products
  • Dangerous drugs
  • Commercial aircraft accidents
  • Explosions
  • Contamination 
  • Underground water pollution

In any of these situations, whether it’s a hazardous drug, an explosion, or a plane crash, dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of people have likely been affected by the harm caused.

Relationship between Mass Tort and Personal Injuries

Personal injury refers to any injury or harm to a person’s body, emotions, or reputation. Personal injuries may be caused to a large number of people, which is known as mass tort injuries.

There are three main reasons why personal injuries occur. Negligence is the most common cause, which arises from a failure to behave with the standard of care that someone with ordinary prudence would have exercised in the same circumstances. An example of negligence related to mass tort is when a plane crashes due to the pilot’s error, causing damage to people and property.

Strict liability is another basis for personal injury, where a person deliberate an action that causes injury, even if the person did not act negligently or intend to cause harm. For example, if an injury occurs due to a defect in a product, the manufacturer is responsible for that injury.

Intentional torts arise from an intentional act, such as assault, battery, false imprisonment, trespass to land, trespass to personal property, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In some cases, a war could be considered a mass grievance where thousands of people are affected by the will of another.

Examples of Common Cases where Mass Tort Causes Personal Injury

Mass tort cases typically involve groups of individuals who have suffered harm due to defective products, harmful business practices, or dangerous drugs. Some examples of situations that may warrant a mass tort include:

Dangerous Products

Defective and dangerous products are among the most common subjects of mass tort claims. These may include contaminated food, hazardous children’s toys, malfunctioning car parts, defective electronic or medical devices, and dangerous or defective medications. Manufacturers are responsible for ensuring that their products are safe and provide sufficient warnings and instructions. If they fail to do so, injured consumers may suffer personal injuries. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone had battery problems that caused explosions, and Toyota cars in 2010 were recalled by the company due to a failure in the electronic accelerator control systems that caused severe damage and even fatalities.

Toxic Substance Exposure 

The exposure refers to illnesses or injuries resulting from exposure to toxins or chemicals. There are several ways in which a person can be exposed to hazardous substances, such as coming into contact with a dangerous chemical at work, accidentally inhaling toxic asbestos or mold at home, or experiencing adverse effects from toxins in water supplies. An example of this is the case of Camp Lejeune, where toxic chemical substances were improperly disposed of in a military warehouse for over 35 years, causing hundreds of people to develop various types of cancer and other diseases.

Did you Suffer a Personal Injury due to a Mass Tort?

Mass torts can severely impact a large number of people, causing multiple personal injuries and affecting many lives. The unique aspect of this type of grievance is that the negligence of one or a few people leads to the collective harm of hundreds or thousands.

To help victims of personal injury in such cases, we provide referrals to our network of experienced and qualified medical professionals who are dedicated to ensuring that you receive the maximum compensation you deserve. We evaluate your case and connect you with the right medical professionals who can cater to your specific needs. Moreover, we offer our support and guidance throughout the entire process. If you’ve been affected by a mass tort or suffered any other personal injury of any type, please contact us, and we will provide you with the assistance that you need