Personal injury cases in California may not only be asserted by an individual because even a group of people can forward such type of civil case. This type of case is labeled as “mass torts”. Simply put, mass torts are civil actions that include more than one plaintiff against one or several defendants. Normally, mass torts are filed in a state or federal legal court.
Generally, mass torts may differ from common personal injury lawsuits in one way or another. Common differences between the two include:
• There are several plaintiffs in a mass tort setup and the facts and issues of the lawsuit are of the same nature
• Various claims in mass torts have an association in terms of value
The following are common personal injury cases wherein mass torts may be used by several plaintiffs:
Workplace accidents – In California, workers are protected by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), which means that all employers are required to ensure the safety of their workers at all time. Because of this, in case that not only one worker gets injured in an accident the affected employees may file a personal injury case against the liable individual by asserting for a mass tort case.
Products liability claim – Pursuant to California personal injury law, individuals or consumers who get injured due to a faulty or defective product have the right to file for a personal injury claim. The injured consumers may file a mass tort lawsuit against the liable product manufacturer, distributor, or retailer.
Premises liability claim – Land or property owners who fail to ensure the safety of their guests may be held liable when an accident takes place. The premises liability-related accident victims may file a mass tort claim against the liable property owner.
When a group of individuals in California decides to file a mass tort claim, they may find it difficult to make their way through the legal contexts involved. One way to ensure their claim is by seeking assistance from Los Angeles attorneys. The group may opt to have a lone attorney to represent them in court. However, each individual may have his or her own lawyer to assess and determine the progress of the lawsuit.
Forwarding a mass tort lawsuit is considered to be a complicated legal duty but if the plaintiffs know what they need to do, the case may be filed in a convenient manner.
