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.
Berea is a city in Madison County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 9,851 at the 2000 census, a 2008 estimate put the population at 14,431. It is the fastest growing town in Kentucky and one of the fastest growing in the nation, having increased by 43.4% since 2000. Its most prominent institution is Berea College, which owns a substantial percentage of the city's land. Due to the high number of arts and crafts produced, Berea is a tourist attraction. It hosts several Crafts Festivals throughout the year. Berea also hosts a Spoonbread Festival in mid-September, which features a cornmeal bread traditionally served with a wooden spoon. Berea is a principal city of the Richmond–Berea Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Madison and Rockcastle counties.