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.
Smithville (also Smithton) is an unincorporated community in southern Ritchie County, West Virginia, United States. It lies along West Virginia Route 47 south of the town of Harrisville, the county seat of Ritchie County. Its elevation is 686 feet (209 m). Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP code of 26178. The North Bend Rail Trail passes through the community.