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.
Westphalia is a city in Osage County, Missouri, United States. The population was 320 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. Westphalia is heavily influenced by the German heritage of the majority of its inhabitants. Many of the early settlers of the area came from the Westphalen area of Germany, hence the name. Many buildings are influenced by nineteenth century German architecture, and streets are labeled in both English and German. The center of population of Missouri is located in Westphalia .