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.
Pottsville is the only city in and the county seat of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 15,549 at the 2000 census. The city lies along the west bank of the Schuylkill River, 97 miles (156 km) north-west of Philadelphia. It is located in Pennsylvania's Coal Region, named for the abundance of anthracite coal. Pottsville is not to be confused with Pottstown, a borough in Montgomery County approximately 40 miles (64 km) northwest of Philadelphia.