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.
Southport is a city in Brunswick County, North Carolina, near the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Its population was listed as 2,351 for the 2000 census. It is part of the Wilmington Metropolitan Statistical Area. A popular filming location for television and movies, the small town can be seen in the television shows "Dawson's Creek" and "Spies" and the movies "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Summer Catch," "Crimes of the Heart", and "A Walk to Remember," among others. It is the site of the proposed North Carolina International Port, and its marina has been the subject of media attention surrounding its possible sale.