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.
North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 4,116 at the 2000 census. It is the original home of Lowe's Home Improvement, though the chain has since relocated its headquarters to Mooresville, North Carolina. North Wilkesboro's major industries include furniture, mirror, and textile production. Due to the town's proximity to the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains and the numerous tourist venues there, North Wilkesboro for many years was nicknamed the "Key to the Blue Ridge".