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.
Harwood Heights is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,297 at the 2000 census. The current Mayor is Arlene Jezierny. She is the second woman to serve as mayor in Harwood Heights, the first being Mayor Margaret Fuller. Harwood Heights is located at 41°57′58″N 87°48′20″W / 41.96611°N 87.80556°W / 41.96611; -87.80556 (41.966172, -87.805576). According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.8 square miles (2.1 km²), all of it land. Harwood Heights is surrounded by Chicago and Norridge.