Class Action & Mass Tort Attorneys

The personal injury litigation firm of Patino & Associates are knowledgeable in handling complex class action and mass tort cases concerning a large number of injured parties facing powerful opponents. We have the financial forte, comprehensive legal knowledge, and malleable resources to respond directly to class actions with highly targeted legal investigations.

We have litigated personal injury and product liability class action cases on behalf of injured consumers battling against well-funded nationwide companies such as:

Automotive defects
Product liability
Sport utility vehicle (SUV) design defect
Tire tread separation

The class action and mass tort attorneys at Patino & Associates work with competent plaintiffs who serve as representatives for a large assembly of people facing comparable legal issues.

What you need to know…

There are four legal requirements needed to qualify for class action status: numerosity, typicality, adequacy and commonality. We can register class members and offer the necessary level of class action notifications.

Class action and mass tort cases are managed by Patino & Associates on a contingency basis. What this means is that class members pay no legal fees or expenses unless the case is resolved in their favor. Class action attorney fees are generally subject to court approval.

Defining Class Action Claims

A class action claim is a lawsuit that is filed on behalf of a group of people involved in a set of circumstances that resulted in damages and injuries. Class action claims can diminish the number of individual cases that must be filed when more than one person has been affected.

Criteria that must be met for Class Action Claims include:

Individuals in the class must be notified and given the chance to opt out and find their own representation
A motion must be filed in court for the plaintiff to step up on behalf of a group
Plaintiff must show that their familiarity with the company or product is representative of the others involved in the lawsuit
Plaintiff must also show that this type of lawsuit is superlative for holding defendants accountable and that individual lawsuits would not be as beneficial or cost-effective for all persons involved

Additionally, the individual compensation that all persons involved will receive must not be worth the time and expenses of hiring an attorney for an individual case.

Lawsuits against tobacco companies and asbestos litigation are examples of Class Action Claims.

Defining Mass Torts

Mass torts are actions filed by a large group of people who are injured on a large scale against one of a few corporate defendants. Mass torts include mass disaster torts, mass toxic tort claims, and product liability torts. Remember the BP oil spill? That is one example of a Mass tort.

Like class action lawsuits, Mass Torts can be used to diminish the number of court cases brought by individuals. These cases allow an attorney or group of attorneys to represent the injured parties in individual cases. An attorney can use their investigative results for all cases filed and a countrywide network of attorneys can use their resources, findings, and ideals to confirm that claimants are receiving fair settlements.

Mass torts are typically more complicated than class action lawsuits due to the way they are designed. Knowing the difference between a class action and mass tort claim could help you, or a loved one, determine your legal rights!