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.
Smith River (formerly, Del Norte, Smith River Corners, Smith's River Valley, Smiths River, and Smith's River) is an unincorporated community in Del Norte County, California, United States. It is located 12 miles (19 km) north-northeast of Crescent City, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the mouth of the Smith River, at an elevation of 52 feet. As of 2000, the population was 2,003. The ZIP Code is 95567. Its area code is 707. It is bordered by the Smith River National Recreation Area.