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.
Established in 1859, the historic Town of Breckenridge is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat of Summit County, Colorado, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the town had a population of 2,408. The town also has many part-time residents, as many people have vacation homes in the area. Breckenridge is also a popular ski resort during the winter months, servicing multi-difficulty ski slopes on the Rocky Mountains. Summer in Breckenridge attracts outdoor enthusiasts with hiking trails, wildflowers, fly-fishing in the Blue River, mountain biking, nearby Lake Dillon for boating, white water rafting, alpine slides, and several shops up and down Main Street. Every year, Breckenridge hosts the Breckenridge Festival of Film, established in 1981, as well as an annual Fourth of July parade. Breckenridge has recently passed a law legalizing the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis.