What is a Mass Tort Lawyer?

Mass Tort Lawyer in Raleigh, NC

The attorneys and staff at Hardison & Cochran are tireless advocates for our clients. We firmly believe in an educated and informed client.

That’s why we go the extra mile to make sure that all of our clients understand what is happening with their cases.

Some defective medical devices, improperly tested prescription drugs, unsafe automobiles, and other consumer products cause harm to numerous people. These products may be the subject of mass tort litigation, which describes an injury suffered by many people. If you have suffered harm from one of these unsafe products, you may have a right to sue the manufacturer and demand compensation for your injuries.

At Hardison & Cochran, our mass tort attorneys offer a free case review to individuals who have questions about a mass tort lawsuit. A knowledgeable Raleigh mass tort liability lawyer at Hardison & Cochran can take a look at the circumstances of your injury and discuss whether you have a valid mass tort claim. If your case involves a product that we handle, our attorneys will offer to represent you on a contingency fee basis. You will not pay any attorney’s fee unless we obtain money for you through a mass tort settlement or court award.

Hardison & Cochran, Attorneys at Law has been in business for more than 30 years in North Carolina and is a mass tort law firm with the resources and experience to pursue these complex cases. We handle mass tort cases on a contingency fee basis. That means the client does not owe any attorney’s fee unless we secure a settlement or jury award. Call to schedule a free and confidential case review with a knowledgeable mass tort injury lawyer at Hardison & Cochran.

 

What is a Mass Tort?

A tort is a legal word for an action that causes injury. A mass tort is an act of negligence committed by a business or individual that causes injury or death to numerous people.

Many mass tort cases involve consumer products, medical devices, and pharmaceuticals.

Mass torts are complex cases and typically involve suing large corporations such as pharmaceutical companies or product manufacturers. In some cases, the companies disregarded research that showed their products were dangerous and failed to publish adequate warnings.

People who have a mass tort claim need to select a law firm with substantial resources to undertake the litigation. Attorneys for multiple plaintiffs may pool resources to investigate the product defect and prepare mass tort litigation more efficiently. But each plaintiff in a mass tort has his or her own claim.

If you suspect that a drug, medical device, or consumer product is defective and has harmed you, speak with a Raleigh mass tort lawyer at Hardison & Cochran about the situation.

Know more about mass torts and how they can affect you.

Defective Product Cases We Handle

• 3M Combat Arms Earplug injuries—If you suffered hearing loss or ringing in the ears caused by using Combat Arms earplugs Version 2, you may be eligible to demand compensation from the manufacturer. Hundreds of U.S. military veterans who were issued the defective ear protection have filed lawsuits against the Minnesota-based 3M Company. The lawsuits allege that dual-ended Combat Arms Earplugs (CAEV2) failed because of a design defect that caused them to loosen imperceptibly in the wearer’s ear. 3M has already agreed to pay $9.1 million to settle claims that it knowingly sold its earplugs to the Defense Logistics Agency, the U.S. military’s global supplier, without disclosing the design defects that reduced hearing protection. Veterans must file individual lawsuits against 3M Company to seek compensation for their hearing loss.
• E-cigarette injuries—E-cigarettes have been promoted as an alternative to tobacco cigarettes. But vaping has its own risks. If you have been diagnosed with a lung illness after juuling or an e-cigarette has exploded and injured you, you may be eligible to seek compensation to pay your medical bills and other expenses related to the injury.
• Monsanto Roundup injuries—Thousands of cancer patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (also known as non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and multiple myeloma have filed lawsuits against the agrichemical maker Monsanto, alleging that its popular weed killer Roundup causes cancer. Roundup contains the active ingredient glyphosate, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer has identified as a probable cause of cancer in humans. Monsanto has denied the allegation. But several juries have reviewed the scientific evidence and returned verdicts that Monsanto should pay sizable damages to individuals who have been diagnosed with cancer. The Raleigh mass tort attorneys at Hardison & Cochran are reviewing Roundup cancer claims. If you worked as a groundskeeper, gardener, agricultural workers or nurseryman, and have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after exposure to Roundup, a mass tort attorney would like to talk with you about your legal rights.
• Benzene cancer claims—One of the most widely used chemicals, Benzene is a colorless liquid with a sweet odor. Benzene is known to cause cancer. The rates of acute myeloid leukemia are higher among workers in industries that use benzene such as the chemical, tire manufacturing, steel production, oil refining, gasoline transportation and shoemaking industries. Auto mechanics and gas station attendants also may have regular exposure to benzene. If you have been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, it is important have an attorney review whether there is a causal link between your cancer and exposure to benzene.Some defective medical devices, improperly tested prescription drugs, unsafe automobiles, and other consumer products cause harm to numerous people. These products may be the subject of mass tort litigation, which describes an injury suffered by many people. If you have suffered harm from one of these unsafe products, you may have a right to sue the manufacturer and demand compensation for your injuries.

 

What is the Difference Between a Mass Tort and a Class Action Lawsuit?

Both mass tort cases and class action lawsuits involve a large number of people alleging that they have been harmed by a common defendant. While they seek to accomplish the same result, there are differences in mass tort and class action litigation.

Mass torts may consist of smaller groups of individuals from a specific locale, while class action lawsuits may involve thousands of plaintiffs throughout the United States.

For the court to establish a class action lawsuit, the cases must meet certain legal criteria. If the factual circumstances among the plaintiffs are too varied and the differences exceed the common facts and questions of law necessary for a class action, the court may establish a mass tort.

Mass tort claims are generally established when consumers are injured by prescription drugs or medical devices.

Certain aspects of the pre-trial litigation of a mass tort may be handled collectively for the sake of efficiency and cost savings. But each plaintiff in a mass tort case is still treated as an individual and retains his or her own individual claim rather than joining one claim as in a class-action lawsuit. That is an important distinction between a mass tort and a class-action lawsuit.

A person filing a mass tort lawsuit must prove how he or she was individually injured. Consumers may have different reactions to an unsafe drug, for example, and may have different adverse effects and injuries. In a class-action lawsuit, the plaintiffs have the same injury.

If your mass tort case is successful, you are entitled to an individual settlement or award that is not shared with other plaintiffs.

Mass Tort Claims for Dangerous Drugs and Defective Medical Devices

Prescription drugs and medical devices are intended to help people manage health issues and live healthier lives. But many people suffer adverse effects and serious injuries, including fatal injuries from dangerous drugs and defective medical devices.

Some drugs are put on the market without adequate clinical testing to understand the negative effects. A dangerous drug may have harmful side effects that are not apparent to researchers and cause serious or fatal injuries. Defective medical devices can cause serious harm or fatal complications. No patient should be harmed by hidden hazards of a drug or medical device because the manufacturer failed to test the product thoroughly or did not warn of the adverse effects of using the product.

Pharmaceutical companies and biomedical companies that design and manufacture medical devices are required by law to make and market products that are safe when used as directed and to warn of any foreseeable side effects. When a manufacturer puts a drug or device on the market that causes injury to numerous consumers or fails to warn adequately of adverse effects, the manufacturer may be held accountable for the injuries through mass tort litigation.

If you have been harmed by a medical device or prescription drug, contact Hardison & Cochran for a free consultation. Let our knowledgeable product liability attorneys at Hardison & Cochran review your specific situation and discuss whether your injury fits a pattern and qualifies you to pursue a mass tort lawsuit. The consultation is free and without obligation.

Hardison & Cochran is a highly regarded North Carolina personal injury firm with offices in offices in Raleigh, Durham, Fayetteville, Dunn, Greensboro, Southern Pines and Wilmington. Our North Carolina mass tort law firm has the determination and resources to pursue these complicated cases.