Thousands of lawsuits across the country may be filed with a mass tort. These lawsuits are filed in numerous federal district courts. In a mass tort, federal judges will consolidate the thousands of lawsuits into a single proceeding. One judge in a single federal district court will oversee litigation, allowing for consistent rulings and a more expeditious process for the plaintiffs.

A tort is a civil wrongful act committed by a person or company that results in harm to another person. A mass tort is when multiple victims are injured by the same single tort.

• Defective products, such as car parts, toys, or other consumer goods.
• Pharmaceutical drugs, such as those that are later linked to severe or fatal health consequences
• Environmental hazards, such as polluted water sources contaminated by nearby industrial sites or an oil leak.

A court will consider if a mass tort lawsuit is permissible by determining:

• whether a large number of plaintiffs are involved
• whether the plaintiffs are located near or far from each other;
• whether the injuries sustained are similar among the plaintiffs;
• whether the claims arose from the same cause (defective toy, car part, oil spill, etc.)

In a mass tort, each plaintiff (injured person) has an individual claim resulting from their unique damages. In a class action, many plaintiffs are considered collectively. Similarly, in a mass tort, each individual's claim "value" is unique to the severity of their injuries. In a class action, plaintiffs generally suffer injuries of similar severity, resulting in the same amount of compensation value.

The cost associated with hiring a personal injury attorney and how payment is collected may vary from firm to firm. At Thomas J. Henry, we work on a contingency fee basis. This means that we don’t charge our clients a penny unless and until we win their case.

Working on a contingency fee basis allows clients access to resources and legal representation they might otherwise struggle to afford. The more serious a case is, the more money it costs to take to trial. This is because complex litigation tends to take longer to resolve and the entities involved fight harder.

This is especially true if your lawsuit is against a large company, as would be the case in a trucking accident or on-the-job injury. Such companies employ teams of lawyers and have seemingly unlimited financial resources. You need an attorney who has the same. Thomas J. Henry employs a team of more than 100 attorneys and has the money to fight your case out to the end.

Finally, by collecting any fees and expenses after a verdict or settlement is secured, Thomas J. Henry can help ensure his clients are able to focus on healing. “The client’s job is to heal. We will handle the rest,” says Thomas J. Henry.

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