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.
Hornitos (formerly, Hornitas) is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County, California. It is located on Burns Creek 14 miles (23 km) south of Coulterville, at an elevation of 843 feet (257 m). The Hornitas post office opened in 1856, and changed its name to Hornitos in 1877. "Hornitos" means "little ovens" in Spanish.