Birmingham Mass Torts Lawyer
A tort is the legal term used when one person wrongs another person and the victim seeks a remedy in civil court. Essentially, when there has been an injury, and the act that caused it is not criminal in nature, any resulting civil case is a tort.
A mass tort is similar to a regular tort, except that it involves a large number of people—or rather, an injury to multiple people, caused by a single source of negligence. If you are interested in joining a mass tort case or think you may have legal grounds to start one, contact a capable personal injury attorney. A Birmingham mass torts lawyer may be able to help.
Common Types of Mass Torts
When companies make products that the public purchases, they are not always made to standard. Items such as toys, automobiles, car seats, or essentially any other type of good can have defects or unreasonable dangers that pose a risk to consumers. These defective or dangerous products cause injuries or even death, and when they do so to multiple people, those victims can come together to form a mass tort case.
Medical products, such as prescription and non-prescription drugs or devices used in medical procedures, can also be defective or dangerous. Defects in these types of medical products often result in severe or even deadly injuries. While these products were ideally created to help, there are instances where they cause great harm in which a mass tort claim may be able to provide some relief to victims.
Mass Torts vs. Class Action Suits
Mass torts are similar to class action suits, in that they both involve large numbers of people who are injured. There is a key difference, however: a class action lawsuit involves a large group of people who are treated as one plaintiff with one trial, whereas in a mass torts lawsuit each plaintiff has their own individual claim that is heard at a separate trial.
How to File a Mass Tort Lawsuit
When filing on behalf of a large group of people who were injured by the same product or source, a Birmingham mass torts lawyer typically first seeks consent from the court to file a mass tort action. The court will assess several criteria to determine if they will grant permission, such as:
- Whether there are a large number of plaintiffs involved
- The location of the plaintiffs, in terms of how near or far they are from each other
- If the injuries suffered by the plaintiffs are similar
- Whether the claims have a common cause
If the court grants permission after deliberating on these factors, then the mass tort case is assigned to a specific judge. After assignment, there is a period of notification, usually in the form of publication in newspapers or online communication, so that anyone else who may have been harmed can join the mass tort suit.
The nature of a mass tort suit often leads to an efficient trial. In most mass tort trials, case preparation, as well as some aspects of discovery, can be transferred from one plaintiff to the next, leading to increased efficiency in processing cases before the judge. Contact a Birmingham mass torts lawyer to learn more information.
Get Help from a Seasoned Birmingham Mass Torts Attorney
If you suffer or someone you know suffers injury, and you believe that the source of your injury is one that many other people may also be suffering from, then an experienced Birmingham mass torts lawyer may be necessary to help you—and everyone else—get the justice you deserve. Call today to schedule an initial consultation regarding your case.
