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.
Bella Vista is a small, rural unincorporated town about 9 miles (14 km) north-east of Redding, California, and about 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Palo Cedro, California. Although there is no official census data available, there is an estimated population of approximately 1,200 residents. Other nearby towns include: Millville (pop. 610), Shingletown (pop. 2,222), Oak Run (pop. 760), Whitmore (pop. 593), and Round Mountain (pop. 122).