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.
Bristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,469 at the 2000 census. Bristol, a deepwater seaport, is named after Bristol, England. Prominent ethnic groups include Portuguese-Americans, mostly Azorean, and Italian-Americans. Major industries include boat building (and related marine industries), manufacturing and tourism. The town's school system is united with neighboring Warren, Rhode Island.