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.
Berkeley is a village located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Incorporated in 1924, the population at the 2000 census was 5,245. The town has a commuter railroad station on Metra's Union Pacific/West Line with service to downtown Chicago.