Bethany Palmer Recht serves as partner of the law firm of Keating Muething & Klekamp in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she consults with clients on managing settlement trusts. Bethany Recht’s other responsibilities involve handling awards from mass tort actions.
In a mass tort lawsuit, a group of persons who have all been affected by the same mistake on the part of a company - such as in product liability cases - seek legal redress. It is similar to a class action lawsuit, but in a mass tort each plaintiff receives a separate trial.
Many events can be the subject of a mass tort. Apartment fires, air crashes, plant explosions, anti-trust actions, and pharmaceutical errors are all frequently litigated. Other reasons range from bodily injury to negligence on the part of the federal government.
Mass torts are expensive to take to trial. Law firms must be well-capitalized to handle large outlays for gathering evidence, finding expert witnesses, court costs, and travel expenses. Partly because of these expenses, law firms often settle the plaintiff’s claims before trial.
