A wide variety of situations might give rise to multiple individuals filing similar suits against the same defendant. Most mass torts revolve around the use of the same product or service, or a common event. Here are some examples of common types of mass tort actions:

• Environmental disasters/exposure to toxic substances. When large corporations have a disaster or expose others to hazardous materials, victims might be eligible to recover damages. Whether these cases are brought as class actions or mass tort depends on how many people are affected. When a disaster or exposure remains confined to a neighborhood, or small area, it’s unlikely to result in a class action. Examples of this kind of mass tort include the Exxon and BP oil spills and the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, as well as asbestos exposure mass torts.
• Medical devices. Mass torts are commonly used when defective medical devices cause injury or death to patients. Although patients suffer injury from the same device and company, the extent of the injuries sometimes varies, making a mass tort action the right path in some cases.
• Prescription drugs. Pharmaceutical companies can be held liable when their drugs cause severe harm or death. The testing lab, drug company, and retailer might all be named in a mass tort. Two of the most common antidepressants, Prozac and Paxil, resulted in mass tort lawsuits.
• Product liability. Other products besides medical devices and prescription medications fall under the product liability umbrellas. When a product has a manufacturing, design, or marketing defect it can affect tens to thousands of consumers depending on the situation. In a product liability mass tort action, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and any other party in a product’s chain of distribution might be liable.