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.
Niland (formerly, Imperial Junction, Old Beach, and Hobgood) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Imperial County, California, United States. The town is located 8 miles (13 km) north of Calipatria, 2 miles (3 km) southeast of Salton Sea. The population was 1,143 at the 2000 census. It is part of the 'El Centro, California Metropolitan Statistical Area'.