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.
Franklin Township is one of the nine townships of Marion County, Indiana, United States. Located in the southeast corner of the county, it has been subsumed into the city of Indianapolis along with most of the rest of the county. It contains the communities of Acton, Wanamaker, and the eastern portion of the excluded city of Beech Grove. Franklin Township is one of the last areas in Marion County to see heavy suburban land development from the outward expansion of Indianapolis. This is primarily because of a history of family farms in the area, but is also due to various civic efforts to maintain a rural atmosphere in the area over time. In recent years, Franklin Township has seen a population explosion that has substantially contributed to property tax hikes to support public school development. The population of the township in 2008 was 36,160. Franklin Township Community School Corporation is the public school district that serves all of Franklin Township.