A company or group of people can make a mistake that exposes multiple parties to harm. In this case, these people can all seek compensation for damages through legal action by holding the at-fault party accountable for their negligent action.
A mass tort is a large civil action that includes hundreds or thousands of people seeking compensation for damages caused by the same at-fault party. They each suffered these damages in a similar way, such as through a defective product.
Plaintiffs in mass torts can recover compensation for damages through settlements or court awards. Some damages they can pursue compensation for include medical bills, lost wages, lost earning potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of consortium, and loss of enjoyment of life.
What is a Mass Tort Lawsuit?
Before understanding mass torts, you must grasp the concept of tort law. Those who suffer harm from one or multiple parties due to their negligent actions can file tort claims to pursue financial relief. These are civil actions handled by the court system that contrasts with criminal law, which involves the state seeking to hand out punishments to criminals breaking laws.
A mass tort is a civil action involving hundreds or thousands of plaintiffs seeking compensation from one party. Product manufacturers, drug makers, and other parties can make negligent mistakes that expose multiple parties to similar injuries, leaving them liable for multiple lawsuits.
In most cases, mass torts are resolved through multi-district litigation (MDL). This is when multiple plaintiffs file similar lawsuits in different jurisdictions before they consolidate in one district before one judge. The plaintiffs can then share resources to prove the at-fault party’s liability and recover compensation for damages.
Pursuing Compensation for Medical Bills in a Mass Tort Lawsuit
One of the most common damages sought by plaintiffs in mass tort lawsuits is medical bills. Negligence from the at-fault party normally exposes the plaintiffs to harm, resulting in them suffering severe injuries or illnesses that require medical treatment.
Depending on the severity of the medical issue, plaintiffs may incur thousands of dollars in medical debt. Those with severe injuries or illnesses that restrict their bodily functions can require surgery, physical therapy, and private medical care to function on a daily basis.
The following are some medical costs mass tort plaintiffs can pursue compensation for:
- Ambulatory costs
- Hospitalization costs
- Surgical bills
- Private medical care
- Medication costs
- Medical equipment
- Physical therapy
- Chiropractic care
- Hospital radiology, physicians, and facilities
Most plaintiffs in mass torts will require similar medical treatment for injuries and illnesses, such as those in the hair relaxer mass tort who suffered uterine cancer. A settlement or court award can help each of them pay for their significant medical bills.
Wage-Based Losses Are Damages in a Mass Tort Lawsuit
Those who suffer severe injuries or illnesses may also experience wage-based losses. Dangerous products and defective drugs can cause serious medical conditions that affect your body to the point where you cannot work.
Plaintiffs in mass torts may need to take weeks or months off from work while they recover from their medical condition. In a mass tort lawsuit, they can pursue compensation for lost wages caused by the at-fault party’s negligence.
They can also experience such a severe injury that they may not return to work at all. For example, someone who suffers a broken leg may not recover properly, so they cannot return to their job as a bus driver. Plaintiffs in mass torts can pursue compensation for lost earning potential, which is the money they lost out on from the career they had to walk away from.
Mass Tort Lawsuit Plaintiffs May Require Compensation for Pain and Suffering
Severe injuries can result in pain and suffering, which encompasses the physical and emotional pain caused by medical conditions. Plaintiffs in mass torts may have to reckon with the impact of their injuries for weeks, months, or even years.
They can experience the physical symptoms on a daily basis, such as shooting pain every time they use their injured body part. They may also feel the trauma of the accident in negative feelings and nightmares. Plaintiffs in mass torts can pursue compensation for their physical and emotional pain and suffering.
What Other Non-Economic Damages Can Mass Tort Plaintiffs Pursue Compensation For?
Damages like medical bills, lost wages, and lost earning potential fall under the category of economic damages because they have a financial value attached to them. Something like pain and suffering is a non-economic damage.
These are intangible losses without a specific bill or financial value attached to them. They can affect a victim’s quality of life and mental well-being, leading to negative effects on their mental health, self-esteem, and relationships with other people.
The following are some non-economic damages mass tort plaintiffs can pursue compensation for:
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of parental services
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of society
What Mass Tort Lawsuits Can The Russo Firm Help You With?
The Russo Firm is currently helping many plaintiffs in mass tort lawsuits. If you suffered injuries from a defective product or dangerous drug, we can help you determine if there are other plaintiffs with similar stories and if there is an option for you to join a mass tort.
The following are the mass tort lawsuits we are currently helping clients with:
- Hair straightener lawsuit
- Zantac cancer lawsuit
- Camp Lejeune lawsuit
- AFFF firefighting foam lawsuit
- Tylenol autism lawsuit
- Monsanto Roundup lawsuit
- CPAP cancer lawsuit
- Hernia mesh lawsuit
- Talcum powder lawsuit
- Tepezza hearing loss lawsuit
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Mass Tort Lawsuit
At The Russo Firm, our personal injury lawyers have decades of experience helping those who need to get involved in mass torts. They understand the process for filing a lawsuit, transferring the lawsuit to the correct jurisdiction, and how to help them recover fair compensation for damages.
Our mass tort lawyers can explain all of the details involved in mass torts and can help you handle the process in a way that can increase your chances of recovering fair compensatory damages. Contact us for a free mass tort consultation today at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page.
