A mass tort is a civil action involving numerous plaintiffs against one or a few corporate defendants. The tort may involve, for example, personal injuries suffered by numerous plaintiffs as a result of a defective product, or a mass disaster in which there were many injured persons, such as an airplane crash, or exposure of a large group of people to toxic chemicals or pharmaceuticals.
Malvern is a city in, and the county seat of, Hot Spring County, Arkansas. The city had a population of 9,021 at the time of the 2000 census, and is also called the "Brick Capital of the World", due to the three Acme Brick plants in the area. Every year on the last weekend of June, Malvern hosts the Brickfest, an event that fills the city with music, food and activities that include a brick toss, brick car derby, and a best dressed brick contest. Malvern also hosts the Hot Spring County Fair and Rodeo each fall. Malvern is home to several manufacturing companies including Acme Brick, Weyerhaeuser, Borden Chemical, Adams Face Veneer Company Inc, Leggett & Platt Precision, and Pactiv Corporation, and is the home of Grapette International, a manufacturer of Grapette soda. Notable Malvern natives include Academy-Award winner Billy Bob Thornton, three-time Super Bowl winner Keith Traylor, and musician and stage performer Beth Clayton.