Chicago Mass Torts Lawyer

Mass tort lawsuits allow victims of the negligent acts of corporations to recover damages against the liable party. These type of claims involve large groups of injured people, and as such, have the power to prevent future harm by raising awareness and holding the at-fault party accountable. At Ankin Law, our mass tort attorneys have the knowledge and experience needed to handle these complex and challenging cases.

If a negligent company caused you to suffer injuries, contact our Chicago mass tort lawyers at
(312) 600-0000 to get started with your recovery.

What Is a Mass Tort?

A mass tort is a negligent act that causes harm to a number of people, rather than a single individual. A mass tort action is not a single lawsuit. Instead, it is a combination of injury cases brought by multiple plaintiffs against a single defendant for the same act. 

Mass torts are similar to class action lawsuits, but there are a few key differences. In class action lawsuits, a single suit is filed on behalf of a group of “similarly situated” plaintiffs. Class action plaintiffs sign away their rights to individual lawsuits when they join the class. With mass torts, multiple similar cases are combined into a single trial, but each case is treated individually. The benefit of mass tort lawsuits is that plaintiffs can save time and money by pooling legal resources.

Mass tort litigation is used in situations where a class cannot be certified to bring a class action lawsuit. They typically involve multidistrict litigation, as plaintiffs may not all reside in the same location.

Types of Mass Tort Cases

Mass tort claims can be brought against a liable party for a variety of reasons. Typically, a mass tort lawsuit will fall under one of the following categories:
  • Toxic Torts – Injuries and deaths caused by exposure to toxic substances such as asbestos, pesticides, diesel fuels, or other polluting materials. These exposures often happen in residential areas or in the workplace.
  • Disaster Torts – Injuries and deaths caused by large scale events such as bridge collapses, aviation accidents, chemical spills, and train accidents. Typically, a corporation or business/government entity is held liable in these cases.
  • Dangerous or Defective Products – Injuries and deaths caused by a dangerous or defective products such as unsafe pharmaceuticals, a faulty medical device, or automobile defects. A designer, manufacturer, distributor, or marketing team may be held responsible for product defects that cause injuries.
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    Our Attorneys Have Recovered Hundreds of Millions of Dollars on Behalf of Our Clients

    Our Chicago trial lawyers have developed a reputation for taking on some of the most challenging personal injury and medical malpractice cases in Illinois – and winning. We have recovered hundreds of millions in settlements and verdicts for our personal injury and medical malpractice clients.

    $10
    Million
    as co-counsel for misdiagnosis resulting in above-the-knee leg amputation. 2021
    $9
    Million
    in combined benefits for tradesman who fell from scaffold. 2022.
    $6
    Million
    as co-counsel for a client who suffocated and died while cleaning her tracheotomy. 2016.
    $5.6
    Million
    as co-counsel for anesthesia death. 2015.

    We handle mass tort cases in Chicago, Cicero, Chicago Heights, Schaumburg, Joliet, Waukegan, Wheaton, Rosemont, Naperville, Elgin, Morton, Orland Park, Bartonville, Eureka, Bloomington, Galesburg, and the surrounding communities.

    We Are the Mass Tort Attorneys Chicago Trusts

    Highly Recommended!!

    Did an awesome job helping my Husband with his case. Very professional and always getting back to us with an answer. Karolina, thank you for all your help on always getting back to us when we had questions. Definitely will go back if I needed a lawyer again. Very patient with us and did not pressure us at all!

    ~ Leslie

    Ankin Law is one law firm that I would recommend anyone to use for cases of injuries. They are very thorough when working on your case and very professional. Their legal assistant Alex Quigley is a very polite and a pleasant person to work with. She is very thorough, very professional and very patient. If there were any problems that came about with your case, she would be right on it, and she would get the matter resolved. She cares about her/their clients, and she does her all to make you feel comfortable working with the law firm. Alex, continue to do what you do.

    ~ Sherry

    I was told to go to Ankin Law because they were the best, and they truly did not disappoint! Upon getting in contact with Ankin, I was introduced to one of their OUTSTANDING employees, Kat McHenry. Kat helped me get all the information I needed regarding my insurance issue and has helped me immensely with a plan to move forward. I would recommend both Kat McHenry and Ankin Law to anyone I know. Thanks for being so amazing!

    ~ Nicholas

    Just wanted to stop by and tell you guys my experience at the Ankin Law Office, I literally have so much to say, I couldn’t have chosen a better lawyer than Maria Merman, she’s the best to be honest, she made me feel so comfortable throughout the process. She’s patient, polite and definitely very professional, always updating on my case I didn’t have to be chasing her at all she was the one always calling me to update me, and her assistant Adriana Carrillo very efficient she definitely loves what she’s doing, you can definitely see the professionalism and as well always letting me know what was going on never missed a detail. Thank you so much for all the hard work!

    ~ Maria M. and Adriana C.

    We are your voice when you or your family member suffers a personal injury or wrongful death caused by someone else.

    The Statute of Limitations for a Mass Tort or Class Action Lawsuit

    The statute of limitations governs the timeline available for victims to file a claim or lawsuit against a liable party. In Illinois, victims have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Mass torts are a type of personal injury lawsuit, and therefore adhere to the same two-year deadline.  The statute of limitations for an injury claim begins running on the date of the accident, or the date the victim’s injuries were discovered or reasonably discoverable. In some cases, tolling may apply. Tolling is the postponement, or pause, of the statute of limitations. For mass tort injury claims, tolling may apply to toxic exposure cases, or other cases where injuries are not discoverable for an extended amount of time. Tolling may also apply to mass torts involving minors or incapacitated victims.  A Chicago mass tort attorney with Ankin Law can help you determine if tolling applies to your injury case. Do you believe you have grounds for a mass tort lawsuit? Call a mass tort lawyer at
    (312) 600-0000 to find out how much your claim is worth. Free consultation.
    Statute of limitations sign, book and gavel.

    How Much Will I Get from a Mass Tort Lawsuit?

    Mass tort claims are handled as a group of individual injury lawsuits. The damages available in a mass tort claim, then, are the same as those provided to plaintiffs in personal injury claims. The exact value of a mass tort case will depend on the extent of the injuries suffered by the individual plaintiff. 

    Damages in a mass tort claim generally fall under three categories:

    Economic Damages in Mass Tort Cases

    Economic damages are tied to the direct financial costs of an injury, and are therefore easy to quantify. These costs include medical bills, prescription medication costs, long term care expenses, and lost wages.

    Punitive Damages in Mass Tort Cases

    Punitive damages are rarely awarded in injury claims. However, when a defendant’s contributing actions are especially negligent or intentional, punitive damages may be enforced to prevent future similar acts from happening.

    Non-Economic Damages in Mass Tort Cases

    Non-economic damages are harder to quantify, as they don’t have direct ties to a financial cost. Instead, these damages are typically calculated as a percentage of the value of the economic damages allotted to a plaintiff. Non-economic damages include things like emotional injuries, PTSD, pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and loss of enjoyment of life.

    Knowledge
    Center:
    Helpful Resources from Our Mass Tort Lawyers in Chicago

    Did a negligent company cause you harm? Check out our Mass Tort Knowledge Center for helpful resources and more information about how you can recover compensation.

    Learn More

    What is the difference between a Mass Tort Lawsuit and a Class Action Lawsuit?

    Class action lawsuits are designed to bring one single suit against a liable party or entity. The plaintiffs in these claims are considered a “class,” and they each share a portion of the damages awarded in the claim. Mass torts, on the other hand, are an accumulation of injury lawsuits brought by similarly injured victims against a liable party. While the cases are brought together, they are evaluated as their own lawsuit in regard to damages.

    What is a Bellwether trial?

    A Bellwether trial is a test trial brought against a single party, usually used in mass tort actions.  The Bellwether trial uses a case pulled from a larger pool of claims that represents the typical plaintiff of the group. Bellwether trials are considered test cases because they are used to predict how future litigation will go against the defendant.

    When Do I Need to Hire a Mass Torts Lawyer?

    If you believe you have grounds for a mass tort case, contact an attorney with Ankin Law to review your case. Mass torts typically involve large damage awards and require sufficient evidence to prove your claim. An experienced mass tort lawyer can identify whether you have grounds for a claim, if your case is a part of a larger set of claims, and how much your case is worth.

    Frequently Asked Questions About Mass Tort Lawsuits