Your Dothan Class Action and Mass Torts Attorneys
While many people are familiar with commercials or news stories about Class Action or Mass Tort cases that they see on TV, not many are familiar with what they are or how they work. When a defendant’s conduct harms a large number of people in the same or similar way, this can result in a Class Action or Mass Tort lawsuit.
What is a Class in a Class Action lawsuit?
When a class is created, one or more plaintiffs can file a claim on behalf of a larger group of people.
For example, when the Dothan class action attorneys at The Cochran Firm represented residents in Spelter, West Virginia, only a few of the residents filed against the chemical giant DuPont and were present in court, but they represented all of the over 8,000 residents that were negatively affected by the toxic pollution that contaminated their community. When the community won $380 million in punitive damages, each person represented by the class was compensated, and much of the award went towards clean-up and future healthcare for the residents.
What is a Mass Tort lawsuit?
A “tort” is a legal term for a “wrongful action” that causes harm to someone else. Sometimes, several people—even thousands of people—can be injured by a single wrongful action, thus creating a “mass” tort.
If both types of lawsuits represent numerous claimants, what is the difference between a class action and a mass tort?
Depending on the circumstances of the case, the defendant’s wrongdoing and the resulting injuries may be best addressed through a class action. As mentioned above, in a class action lawsuit, a representative brings a lawsuit on behalf of a group of claimants and essentially “stands in the shoes” of the rest of the class members. When a “representative” cannot adequately represent each claimant, all claimants file their own lawsuits. These individual lawsuits are collectively called mass tort claims, and settlement amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis.
What class action and mass tort cases is The Cochran Firm Dothan currently involved with?
Camp Lejeune: United States Marines and their loved ones who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, may have developed cancer or other severe illnesses due to exposure to toxic water contamination.
Chemical Hair Relaxers: The National Institute of Health has recently found that regular use of chemical hair relaxers can result in uterine, endometrial, and ovarian cancers.
Valsartan Blood Pressure Medication has had numerous batches that were found to be contaminated with a cancer-causing substance, N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA).
Zantac Heartburn Medication has been linked to cancer among millions of users.
Elmiron, a medication that treats bladder pain, has been linked to permanent vision damage.
Uloric, the gout medication, has been linked to severe cardiovascular events and an increased risk of other heart-related deaths.
The Cochran Firm Dothan has a wide range of experience in prosecuting class action lawsuits nationwide against some of the largest corporations in the United States. Litigating class actions requires a thorough knowledge of the special class action laws in state and federal courts and experience in coordinating discovery and managing trial plans to ensure that the class action is efficiently managed and tried to a verdict. You should ensure that the law firm representing you has experience in prosecuting class actions, sufficient financial resources, and staffing to meet the rigorous demands of class action and mass tort lawsuits.
The Dothan class action and mass tort attorneys of The Cochran Firm are part of a nationwide network of Cochran Firm offices and attorneys. This network provides our clients access to an invaluable pool of the collective experience and resources of all our Cochran Firm partners. Our attorneys have collectively secured over $30 billion for our clients, showcasing our commitment to achieving justice. Our attorneys frequently contribute to the legal community by sharing their knowledge with other attorneys and law firms by lecturing at CLE (Continuing Legal Education) seminars. This training helps trial attorneys nationwide represent their clients better and get the justice they deserve.
Areas We Serve
From our office in Southeast Alabama (Houston County), the
class action and mass torts attorneys at The Cochran Firm Dothan are ready to serve clients in South Alabama, Southwest Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle.