Are You Eligible to Participate In a Mass Tort Claim?

A mass tort claim arises out of a harm caused by a particular product or service. This can be an act or an omission that is injurious to many individuals. These are not single cases, but instead are groupings of individual lawsuits that allege the same set of facts against a common defendant. Mass tort actions are used to obtain remedies where a class cannot be certified. The most common mass tort claims are those filed against companies when multiple consumers are commonly injured by defective products, medical devices, or drugs. Mass tort actions are also often filed for injuries resulting from mass disasters caused by an individual or company. Mass tort actions are filed as an important tool for not only obtaining compensation for injured plaintiffs, but also for making sure that companies are held liable for their departures from the reasonable standard of due care and diligence.

In our digital society, social media platforms are also coming under fire in mass tort allegations. We are currently investigating a possible mass tort claim against Facebook on behalf of those who have suffered injury as a result of Instagram’s algorithm that Facebook set forth which promoted content that was harmful to young users. In a recent testimony by former Facebook employee Francis Haugen, also known as “The Facebook Whistleblower,” Haugen revealed that Facebook was aware that  Instagram negatively impacted the mental health of its users as displayed through a series of studies leaked by Haugen. More specifically, these studies showed a rise in mental health problems and eating disorders among young girls in correlation with social media use. Haugen testified before Congress that when outside lawmakers asked Facebook directly how the platform impacted the health and safety of children, Facebook never gave direct answers. “Facebook chooses to mislead and misdirect. Facebook has not earned our blind faith,” Haugen said. If you believe that your child has been a victim of Facebook’s negligent behavior, contact Atara Twersky at atara@twerksylawgroup.com or fill out the form below. To read more about the Facebook Whistleblower and potential claims against Facebook, click here.