Strategically selecting mass torts provides attorneys with a powerful avenue to justice while building a resilient, diversified practice. As we begin 2026, there are several of these key torts poised to define the legal landscape.
In this blog, we share the top five mass torts to watch this year, from emerging to mature. This provides a strategic overview for firms who want to diversify their practice while mitigating risk and optimizing capital outlay.
1. PowerPort
The PowerPort mass tort (MDL 3081) centers on alleged design defects in a widely implanted port catheter used for intravenous delivery of fluids and medications. Plaintiffs allege that flaws in the device’s design, particularly the materials used in the catheter tubing, have caused serious injuries, including vascular damage and infection.
A central issue in the litigation was Bard’s reliance on the FDA’s 510(k) clearance process to bring its first PowerPort device to market in 1999. Because the process required only demonstrating substantial equivalence rather than proof of safety or efficacy, Bard was able to bypass clinical trials, accelerating market entry while shifting safety risks to patients.
The MDL currently includes 2,545 cases, and a Joint Memorandum was recently filed before Judge David Campbell in the District of Arizona. Key disputes covered include a trial schedule swap, sales representative information, and various case management/compliance issues. The MDL continues to mature, with a large and active federal docket, parallel state court proceedings, and a full slate of bellwether trials set for 2026.
PowerPort MDL Bellwether Trials:
- Robert Cook (Case No. 23-cv-01975): April 21, 2026
- Wanda Miller (Case No. 24-cv-00621): July 7, 2026
- May Lattanzio (Case No. 24-cv-00680): August 18, 2026
- Kimberly Divelbliss (Case No. 23-cv-01627): October 13, 2026
- Judy Hicks (Case No. 23-cv-01703): December 1, 2026
- Lloyd Sorensen (Case No. 23-cv-02557): February 2, 2027
2. Social Media Addiction
Plaintiffs in the Social Media Addiction mass tort (MDL 3047) allege that several technology companies deliberately created psychologically manipulative features to exploit the developmental vulnerabilities of adolescent users. This conduct, they argue, directly fueled a documented epidemic of youth mental health crises, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and self-harm.
Litigation and regulatory pressure on social media platforms continues to intensify. A federal magistrate judge in California recently denied Meta’s request for a protective order that would have restricted former researcher and whistleblower Jason Sattizahn from disclosing attorney client privileged information during his upcoming deposition. At the same time, bipartisan child safety legislation has advanced out of a House subcommittee. The MDL now includes 2,243 cases. The Court heard arguments on the sequence of the six school district bellwether trials and anticipates jury selection in May, followed by trial proceedings beginning in June.
Social Media Addiction Trials
- JCCP: January 27, 2026
- First MDL Bellwether Trial: Mid-2026
3. LDS Church Sexual Abuse
The LDS Church Sexual Abuse litigation is an institutional abuse mass tort centered on an alleged systemic cover-up. Plaintiffs claim that the Church of Latter-Day Saints used their unique power structure to groom, abuse, and silence victims while at the same time protecting the abusers. This includes the church’s infamous “helpline,” which advises church leaders to handle allegations of abuse internally rather than reporting them to law enforcement. FLOODLIT is a public database that aggregates and documents allegations of sexual abuse by LDS Church members and leaders.
A surge of cases is emerging through state look-back windows, led by coordinated plaintiff counsel. While the Church is currently pursuing a private settlement strategy to bypass public trials, MDL consolidation is currently being sought in the Central District of California. This represents the newest major religious institutional abuse litigation, in which the Church’s power structure and documented and systemic cover-up creates exceptional liability exposure.
4. Roblox
The Roblox mass tort (MDL 3166) centers on the systemic failure to protect children on a platform marketed as safe for them. Plaintiffs allege that Roblox’s negligence created a pipeline for predators, exposing millions of minors to grooming, harassment, and sexually explicit content. Industry watchdogs like Hindenburg Research have called Roblox a “pedophile hellscape.”
The litigation has rapidly escalated, with the JPML creating a new MDL in the Northern District of California to coordinate dozens of federal cases—a major procedural development. A Florida’s consumer protection lawsuit adds regulatory pressure, reinforcing claims that Roblox failed to protect minors and increasing exposure as coordinated discovery beings. The MDL currently includes 85 cases and has been assigned to Chief Judge Richard Seeborg for coordinated pretrial proceedings.
5. Online Gambling Apps
A significant emerging mass tort focuses on the sophisticated, predatory design of mobile betting applications, with platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel as primary targets. Plaintiffs contend that these apps exploit psychological vulnerabilities through addictive design elements and a lack of adequate warnings.
The consequences for users are severe, including significant financial losses, as well as heightened depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation, particularly among young adults. This issue is particularly relevant to the college demographic, where roughly 67% of students have engaged in sports betting, and a concerning 1 in 20 meet the diagnostic criteria for compulsive gambling disorder.
For attorneys, this presents a high-potential litigation opportunity, combining a vulnerable and heavily targeted population, deep-pocket defendants, and growing evidence of deliberate psychological manipulation embedded in app design.
What You Can Do
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Our process lets attorneys help more people without adding to their workload and gives claimants more power to find necessary legal aid. Ready to learn more? Call us at (844) 206-4644 or complete our online contact form today.
