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.
Bristol is a city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 61,353. Bristol is primarily known as the home of ESPN, whose central studios are in the city. Bristol was also known as a clock-making city in the 1800s, and is home to the American Clock and Watch Museum. Bristol's nicknames include the Bell City, because of a history manufacturing innovative spring-driven doorbells, and the Mum City because it was once a leader in chrysanthemum production and still holds an annual "Mum Festival".