Mass torts are intricate and formidable cases involving numerous plaintiffs against a single defendant. These cases are pivotal as they ensure accountability for corporate negligence and seek justice for potentially thousands of affected individuals. Mass tort cases can also play a crucial role in expanding law firm practices, providing personal injury attorneys with opportunities to grow their revenue base while making a substantial societal impact.
By keeping abreast of the latest legal developments and significant upcoming cases, lawyers can refine their expertise, assist more individuals, and achieve greater success. In 2024, key areas, including environmental contamination, product liability, and defective medical devices, will be central in the landscape of mass torts, offering significant opportunities for legal professionals.
Here are the top torts to watch in 2024.
1. Video Game Addiction
Recent lawsuits target major video game developers like Epic Games, Roblox Corporation, and Activision Blizzard, alleging they design games to be addictive in order to boost profits. The suits claim the games exploit young players through reward systems, feedback loops, and microtransactions, creating compulsive behaviors akin to gambling. Accusations include defective design for lack of addiction safeguards, deceptive trade practices for marketing to minors, and negligence in failing to warn of addiction risks. Plaintiffs argue these design flaws cause severe emotional, social, and mental health issues among young gamers. The lawsuits seek financial compensation for damages, including mental health issues, decline in life quality, and loss of education.
2. Social Media Addiction
A wave of mass tort lawsuits is building against social media giants like Meta, Snapchat, and TikTok. These legal actions claim that companies have intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive, prioritizing profits over user safety. Plaintiffs, including individuals who have suffered emotional, academic, and physical harm due to excessive social media use, allege that the platforms engage in negligence by failing to prevent addiction, by fraudulently concealing the harms of their designs, and for product liability in creating defective platforms that facilitate addiction. The lawsuits seek financial compensation for damages, including mental health issues, decline in life quality, and physical injuries linked to social media use. They also demand changes to make these platforms less addictive and safer, particularly for vulnerable younger users.
3. PFAS
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are chemicals that have been widely used in the US, primarily in industrial and oil processing activities. The contamination of drinking water from these ‘forever’ chemicals has affected millions of Americans, resulting in lawsuits against major manufacturers such as 3M, DuPont, and Chemours. The potential scope of PFAS contamination is currently being assessed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Results from testing of just the first one-third of the country’s public water systems have revealed that 70 million people are exposed to these toxic ‘forever chemicals,’ which could mean that over 60% of the US population has been exposed. This type of legal action not only seeks compensation for health damages like cancer but also involves intricate scientific testing and discovery to establish the link between PFAS exposure and specific health issues. As litigation unfolds, proving direct causality and corporate accountability remains a contentious endeavor.
4. PowerPort
The Bard PowerPort, a port catheter device implanted under the skin for intravenous delivery of medications, is implicated in serious design and manufacturing flaws. These defects can lead to device fracturing and migration, posing risks like internal vascular damage. Individuals injured by these malfunctions, including fractures or migrations, have initiated product liability lawsuits against Bard, the manufacturer. These lawsuits aim to hold Bard accountable for the severe health consequences faced by patients seeking compensation for their injuries.
5. Semaglutide
Since their introduction in 2012 by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, Semaglutide medications like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy have been prescribed globally for type 2 diabetes and obesity. These GLP-1 receptor agonists, designed to last longer in the bloodstream, have been linked to severe gastrointestinal injuries requiring hospitalization, including bowel obstruction and gastroparesis. The rising popularity, particularly for off-label weight loss uses, has drawn regulatory scrutiny. With the rapid increase in the number of prescriptions, reports of adverse effects have escalated, prompting legal actions against these pharmaceutical giants. These litigations focus on the companies’ failure to adequately warn users of potential severe side effects amidst aggressive marketing strategies.
6. Camp Lejeune Water Contamination
The significant lawsuits surrounding the contamination at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune continue to evolve. Over three decades, water sources at the base were tainted with harmful chemicals like trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), benzene, and vinyl chloride, leading to severe health issues, including cancers and Parkinson’s disease. Recently, attorneys submitted a proposal to address severe illnesses such as multiple myeloma and esophageal cancer under Track 5 of the litigation, focusing on prioritizing diseases based on severity and likelihood of successful outcomes. Despite significant legal maneuvers, including discovery disputes and government delays, only a small fraction of cases have been settled.
What Broughton Partners Can Do For You
Now that you know the most significant mass torts for 2024, you need to start generating marketing campaigns to grab that audience and direct them to your law firm. Broughton Partners is here to do all the work while you reap the rewards.
We can help your law firm gain more clients and build better connections between claimants, litigating firms, and you. With various consumer-facing brands, we reach out to potential claimants across television, radio, social media, and other advertising avenues. These claimants contact our in-house 24/7 call center and are screened for eligibility using criteria created with leading litigators. These pre-qualified retainers are then delivered to your firm without any additional work on your part.
This process lets attorneys help more people without adding to their workload and gives claimants more power to find necessary legal aid. If you want to know more, call us at (844) 206-4644 or complete our online contact form today.