Tort as a term refers to any wrongful action by one or more parties that causes physical harm to one or more other parties. A mass tort simply magnifies that same definition as it generally involves wrongful actions taken by one or more parties that ended up harming and killing a mass of people. Each plaintiff in a mass tort belongs to or is connected to that affected mass, and their allegations are usually quite similar to each other. The following are often cited as the top mass torts of all time in the US.
Agent Orange
Often hailed as the first proper mass tort case in the US, it is also the most infamous mass tort case ever filed against the US government by its own veterans. It started out as a class action lawsuit in 1979, as a single case against the government was filed to seek compensation for more than 2.4 million afflicted veterans, their spouses, children, and other affected family members. Since then, numerous individual cases have been filed, turning the Agent Orange class action lawsuit into an ongoing mass tort case.
Agent Orange, Agent Pink, Agent Green, Agent Purple, Agent White and Agent Blue were some of the most toxic chemical herbicides used in the Vietnam War. The dioxin they contained has been found to be responsible for almost incalculable environmental damage.
As for their effects on humans, the list is ever-growing. As of now, skin pigmentation, liver disease, skin disease, type II diabetes, immuno compromising symptoms, neurological disorders, motor dysfunction, skeletomuscular dysfunction, hormonal abnormalities, heart disease, spina bifida, abnormal fetal development, and miscarriages lead the chart.
Silicone Breast Implant
From breast cancer to autoimmune diseases, silicone breast implants were cited as the reason behind numerous medical conditions, starting in and around roughly the mid-1980s. Even though these mass tort cases have since lost ground due to flimsy medical evidence, there was an 80% win rate for silicone breast implant-related mass tort cases between 1984 and 1992.
Asbestos
Like most of the biggest mass torts throughout recent history, the legal battle against asbestos is an ongoing mass tort. It is, in fact, the longest running mass tort of its kind. Between 2002 and 2022, more than 730,000 affected workers sued roughly 8,400 corporate entities for intentionally exposing them to asbestos, despite knowing what the fibers would do to their lungs.
Asbestos inhalation has been proven beyond doubt to cause incurable and deadly conditions. These conditions include but are not limited to mesothelioma and other types of lung cancers, asbestosis, cancers of the ovaries, larynx cancer, pleural plaque and tumors to name a few. Over $70 billion has been paid to asbestos victims so far, but the total sum will likely be much larger by the time this mass tort concludes.
These should provide you with a better understanding of what mass torts are, but what if you have a case of your own? Does it qualify as a mass tort case? What are the merits of the case for you as one of the plaintiffs in the concerned mass tort? Only an experienced mass tort attorney can help you find answers to those questions and more. So, contact us now for a free consultation on (883) 626-2587.
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