Personal Injury Attorney in Palm Springs
Get to Know the Firm

Mass Tort Lawyer in Palm Springs

Reliable Representation for Complex Injury Claims

When thousands of people are all injured by the same source but with varying consequences, a mass tort may become necessary to sort out and simplify all of the legal proceedings. Mass torts seek to bring together a large population of similar plaintiffs while still giving individual powers and responsibilities to each of them.

By their nature, a mass tort can be quite complicated when taken at surface value and when given a closer look. To make sense of your personal injury claim and to see if it should be considered part of a mass tort, call (760) 537-4457 and connect with Christopher C. Vader PC in Palm Springs. We have decades of legal experience to put to good use when representing and guiding you through your mass tort.

We offer free initial consultations to inquiring clients. Schedule one today.

How Does a Mass Tort Work?

When a single incident or source causes harm to a large number of parties, the issue can be sent to a judge or panel of judges for review. If the judge finds value and merit behind the complaint, then the case may be approved for mass tort. Plaintiffs all around the country can then file a similar lawsuit, using the merits established in that first case as their basis.

Mass torts also judge each case individually, meaning every plaintiff stands to win a different amount of compensation, be it less or more than the next. This can be advantageous for you if your injuries are much more severe than someone else in the mass tort, but you were both hurt for the same or similar reasons, like a defective drug. Mass torts are different from class actions in this way, which bundle all plaintiffs into one single plaintiff class who all win or lose together, and who all split the settlement or verdict amount accordingly.

Common Reasons for Mass Torts

Due to the reasons that contribute to a mass tort, there are typically two reasons why they are filed:

  • Dangerous drugs: When a Big Pharma company manufactures and sells a medical product without properly testing it for side effects, it can impact hundreds of thousands of people. Not all of those people will react the same way to a dangerous drug, though, but they will all likely experience some sort of negative health consequence. For example, a defective drug may cause heart failure in some users and pulmonary complications in others. A mass tort would be appropriate because the source of the injuries is the same while the injuries are not.
  • Defective products: The same legal methodology is useful when a product is manufactured negligently and leads to consumer injuries. Multiples of the same product that roll off the assembly line may hurt thousands of people in a variety of ways, depending on the defect. For example, Roundup weed killer manufactured by Monsanto has been attributed to the development of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, and B-cell lymphoma, all in varying severities. A mass tort can bring all Roundup users together in a way, despite each person being hurt and experiencing damages unique to their own case.

What is a Bellwether Trial?

To determine if a mass tort should be formed, an initial complaint can be put to trial and reviewed by a judge or judges. This vanguard case is sometimes referred to as a bellwether trial. If the judges find the case has legal merit and the damages equate to real values, then other plaintiffs can file their own lawsuits atop the foundations set in the overall mass tort due to that successful bellwether trial.

You Focus on Healing – We Focus on Your Case

Joining a mass tort or having your case act as a bellwether trial can be complicated. Rather than trying to deal with all the little details yourself, leave it up to Attorney Christopher C. Vader and our legal team. While our Palm Springs mass tort law firm works on your case, you can just focus on yourself and your recovery as best you can.

Contact our firm by calling (760) 537-4457 and schedule a free consultation today. We look forward to hearing from you.

Contact Us Today - (760) 537-4457

All Consultations Are Free & Confidential
  • Please enter your first name.
  • Please enter your last name.
  • This isn't a valid phone number.
  • Please enter your email address.
    This isn't a valid email address.
  • Please make a selection.
  • Please enter a message.