Quick answer: As of 2026, dozens of active mass tort lawsuits are accepting new claims across dangerous drugs, medical devices, toxic chemicals, and consumer products. The largest include talcum powder, Roundup, firefighting foam (AFFF), GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, chemical hair relaxers, Depo-Provera, Suboxone, paraquat, hernia mesh, and social media addiction cases. You may qualify if you used the product, later developed the specific injury linked to it, and your state’s filing deadline has not passed.
Key takeaways
- A mass tort lets many people harmed by the same product sue individually while sharing the pretrial work, usually inside a federal multidistrict litigation (MDL).
- Federal courts had roughly 198,000 MDL claims pending across about 158 dockets at the start of 2026 (Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation).
- The single largest active mass tort is the J&J talcum powder litigation, with more than 67,000 pending cases.
- Every mass tort has its own injury and its own eligibility rules. Qualifying almost always requires a specific diagnosis plus documented product use.
- Filing deadlines (statutes of limitation) are strict and vary by state, so waiting can permanently end a valid claim.
- This guide is general information, not legal advice. Only a licensed attorney can tell you whether you personally qualify.
What is a mass tort lawsuit?
A mass tort is a legal action in which many people, all harmed by the same product or conduct, sue the same defendants. Think of a drug that injured thousands of patients, or a chemical that sickened workers across the country. Rather than each person starting from scratch, courts group the cases so they can answer shared questions once.
Most mass torts run as a federal MDL. A panel of judges transfers similar lawsuits from around the country to a single judge, who oversees evidence-gathering and early “test” trials. This happens often enough that MDLs now make up a large share of the entire federal civil docket (JPML statistics).
Importantly, joining a mass tort does not erase your individual case. Your claim keeps its own facts, its own injuries, and its own potential value.
How is a mass tort different from a class action?
People often confuse the two, but the difference matters for your payout. In a class action, one lawsuit represents everyone at once, and the group divides any recovery under a shared formula. In a mass tort, each person keeps a separate case, so a more seriously injured claimant can recover more than someone with a minor injury.
Product-injury cases usually proceed as mass torts for exactly that reason. The harm each person suffered varies too much to lump into one number. If you want a deeper sense of how individual injury value works, see our guide on how much your personal injury case is worth.
The complete list of active mass tort lawsuits in 2026
The litigations below rank among the most active in the country in 2026. The table gives a fast overview, and the sections that follow explain each one, including who may qualify. Case counts reflect federal filings reported during 2026 and change every month.
| Litigation | Alleged injury | Court / MDL | Who may qualify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talcum powder (J&J) | Ovarian cancer, mesothelioma | D.N.J. (MDL 2738) | Talc users with a qualifying cancer diagnosis |
| Roundup (glyphosate) | Non-Hodgkin lymphoma | Mostly state courts; N.D. Cal. (MDL 2741) | Regular Roundup users diagnosed with NHL |
| AFFF firefighting foam | Kidney, testicular, and other cancers | D.S.C. (MDL 2873) | Firefighters and others exposed to PFAS foam |
| Camp Lejeune water | Cancers, Parkinson’s, leukemia | Navy claims + E.D.N.C. | People at the base 30+ days, 1953 to 1987 |
| GLP-1 drugs (Ozempic) | Gastroparesis, bowel injury, vision loss | E.D. Pa. (MDL 3094/3163) | Users of Ozempic-type drugs with a linked injury |
| Hair relaxers | Uterine, ovarian, endometrial cancer | N.D. Ill. (MDL 3060) | Long-term users with a reproductive cancer |
| Depo-Provera | Meningioma (brain tumor) | N.D. Fla. (MDL 3140) | Long-term users with a meningioma diagnosis |
| Suboxone film | Severe tooth decay, tooth loss | N.D. Ohio (MDL 3092) | Film users with serious dental injury |
| Paraquat | Parkinson’s disease | S.D. Ill. (MDL 3004) | Applicators and farmworkers with Parkinson’s |
| Hernia mesh | Revision surgery, migration, infection | S.D. Ohio and others | Patients needing revision surgery |
| Bard PowerPort | Catheter fracture, infection, clots | D. Ariz. (MDL 3081) | Patients whose implanted port failed |
| Social media addiction | Youth mental-health harm | N.D. Cal. (MDL 3047) | Young users harmed by compulsive use |
Dangerous drug and medication lawsuits
GLP-1 drugs (Ozempic and similar)
These blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drugs include semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound). Together they sit at the center of fast-growing litigation in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania under Judge Karen Marston. About 3,848 cases were pending in the gastrointestinal-injury docket (MDL 3094) in mid-2026 (Drugwatch). Plaintiffs allege the drugs caused gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), intestinal blockage, and gallbladder disease. A related MDL before the same judge covers claims of sudden vision loss called NAION. The litigation remains early, with no trials or settlements yet. You may qualify if you used a GLP-1 drug and developed one of these conditions.
Depo-Provera
This injectable contraceptive, medroxyprogesterone acetate, carries a link to meningioma, a type of brain tumor. Cases sit in the Northern District of Florida (MDL 3140) under Judge M. Casey Rodgers, and the docket has grown quickly to roughly 5,800 claims (Drugwatch). In June 2026, the two sides also reached a tentative agreement toward a global settlement, though they have not finalized it. You may qualify if you used Depo-Provera for about a year or longer and have imaging that confirms a meningioma.
Suboxone film
Plaintiffs blame the dissolvable film version of this addiction-treatment medication for severe tooth decay and tooth loss, because the strip releases acidic compounds against the teeth. More than 11,000 cases sit in the Northern District of Ohio (MDL 3092) under Judge Philip Calabrese (TruLaw). You may qualify if you used brand-name Suboxone film, not the tablet, for at least six months and suffered serious dental damage.
Tylenol (acetaminophen) autism claims
This litigation shows how fast a mass tort can change. The judge dismissed the federal cases claiming prenatal Tylenol use caused autism or ADHD, after excluding the plaintiffs’ scientific experts. That dismissal now sits on appeal before the Second Circuit (Drugwatch). Some plaintiffs have refiled in state courts. Because the federal claims are not currently moving forward, treat any advertising about this case with caution and confirm the status before relying on it.
Toxic chemical, environmental, and water lawsuits
Roundup (glyphosate)
Monsanto, now owned by Bayer, makes this weedkiller, which plaintiffs tie to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Roughly 61,000 claims remain active, most now in state courts, with several thousand still in the federal MDL in California (ConsumerNotice). In February 2026, Bayer also announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement to cover current and future claims. On June 25, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Monsanto Co. v. Durnell in the company’s favor. The 7-to-2 ruling held that federal pesticide law preempts state “failure-to-warn” claims. However, it leaves claims based on defective design or negligence intact (U.S. Supreme Court). You may qualify if you used Roundup regularly and later developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
AFFF firefighting foam
Aqueous film-forming foam contains PFAS “forever chemicals” that plaintiffs link to kidney cancer, testicular cancer, and other illnesses. The MDL in the District of South Carolina (MDL 2873) ranks among the largest in the country, with more than 15,000 cases pending (U.S. District Court, D.S.C.). Manufacturers have already paid billions to settle water-contamination claims, but the personal-injury trials still await scheduling. You may qualify if you had meaningful AFFF exposure, often as a firefighter or military service member, and later developed a linked cancer.
Camp Lejeune water
A federal law, the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022, covers people who spent at least 30 days at the North Carolina Marine base between 1953 and 1987. It lets them seek compensation for illnesses tied to the base’s contaminated drinking water (U.S. Navy). Qualifying illnesses include bladder, kidney, and liver cancer, Parkinson’s disease, leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This also works differently from a typical MDL. Claimants first file an administrative claim with the Navy, then can sue in the Eastern District of North Carolina. By mid-2026, people had filed more than 400,000 administrative claims. The government had also approved early settlements, with payments that commonly range from $100,000 to $550,000 by injury and exposure. You may qualify if you lived or worked at Camp Lejeune during that period and later developed a listed illness.
Paraquat
This powerful herbicide also carries an association with Parkinson’s disease among people who mixed, applied, or worked near it. About 6,651 cases sit in the Southern District of Illinois (MDL 3004) under Chief Judge Nancy Rosenstengel. The parties are now working through a settlement framework that the court approved in 2026 (Drugwatch). You may qualify if you worked with or near paraquat and later developed Parkinson’s disease.
Consumer product lawsuits
Talcum powder
Plaintiffs blame Johnson & Johnson’s talc products, including Baby Powder, for ovarian cancer and mesothelioma from alleged asbestos contamination. This is the largest active mass tort in the federal system, with more than 67,000 pending cases in the District of New Jersey (MDL 2738) (Drugwatch). After courts rejected the company’s repeated bankruptcy strategy, the cases moved forward. As of mid-2026, the company is still not pursuing a global settlement. So claims are heading toward individual trials, and recent verdicts have gone both ways. You may qualify if you used talc-based powder and later developed ovarian cancer or mesothelioma.
Hair relaxers
Plaintiffs link chemical hair straighteners to uterine, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, pointing to endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the products. Roughly 11,500 cases also sit in the Northern District of Illinois (MDL 3060) under Judge Mary Rowland, and the first test trials should begin in 2027 (Drugwatch). You may qualify if you used chemical relaxers regularly over years and later developed one of these reproductive cancers.
Medical device lawsuits
Hernia mesh
Surgical hernia mesh can migrate, erode, or fail, forcing patients into painful revision surgery. More than 26,000 cases target manufacturers including Bard and Covidien. Meanwhile, the Bard mesh MDL sits in the Southern District of Ohio, and the first Covidien trial arrives in 2026 (Drugwatch). You may qualify if hernia mesh complications forced you into revision surgery or caused infection, migration, or recurrence.
Bard PowerPort
This implanted port catheter, which doctors use to deliver medication, can fracture or move out of place, leading to infection, blood clots, or tissue erosion. About 3,564 cases sit in an Arizona MDL (No. 3081) under Judge David Campbell, with early test trials underway in 2026 (U.S. District Court, D. Ariz.). You may qualify if you received a PowerPort implant that later fractured, moved, or required removal.
Technology and other lawsuits
Social media addiction
Families and school districts allege that platforms including Meta, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube designed their products to be addictive and harmed young users’ mental health. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers oversees the MDL in the Northern District of California (MDL 3047). The first test cases began resolving in 2026, through school-district settlements and a California jury verdict (Spencer Law). You may qualify if a young user suffered documented mental-health harm connected to compulsive platform use.
How do you know if you qualify for a mass tort lawsuit?
Eligibility depends on each case, but almost every mass tort applies the same three-part test. Together, meeting all three turns a general concern into a potential claim.
- Product use or exposure. You used the drug or product, or worked around the chemical, in the way the lawsuit describes. Proof can include prescriptions, pharmacy records, purchase history, or employment records.
- A qualifying diagnosis. A doctor diagnosed you with the specific injury the litigation targets, and your records or imaging confirm it.
- A timely claim. Your state’s filing deadline has not yet passed for your injury.
Documentation separates a strong claim from a weak one. Medical records that tie your diagnosis to the product, plus evidence of how long you used it, carry the most weight. An attorney will also weigh causation, meaning whether the science connects your specific injury to the product.
How do mass tort settlements work?
Mass torts rarely go to a single, giant trial. Instead, the MDL judge oversees discovery and then holds a handful of “bellwether” trials, which test how juries react to the evidence. Those outcomes often shape a broader settlement.
When the parties reach a global settlement, they usually tier the payouts. Claimants with the most severe injuries and the strongest proof recover more, while weaker or less-documented claims recover less. To understand how individual value works, see our guide on how much your personal injury case is worth.
These cases also take time. Investigation, expert work, and negotiation can stretch across years, so patience becomes part of the process. Our overview of how long a lawsuit takes explains why complex litigation moves slowly.
Why the filing deadline matters so much
A statute of limitations, the legal deadline to file, governs every mass tort. These deadlines commonly run one to three years, and they vary by state and by injury type. Miss the deadline, and a court can dismiss even a strong claim for good.
The clock often starts when you get your diagnosis, or when you reasonably should have connected the injury to the product, not when you first used it. The rules run technical and state-specific. If you think you may have a case, our guide on the statute of limitations for injury claims is worth reading. When in doubt, treat the deadline as sooner rather than later.
What should you do if you think you qualify?
If any of these lawsuits sounds like your situation, a few steps protect your options:
- Preserve proof of use. Save prescriptions, receipts, product packaging, and any employment or exposure records.
- Gather your medical records. Your diagnosis and treatment history anchor any claim.
- Do not rely on advertising alone. Marketing about these cases can run aggressive and sometimes outdated, so confirm the current status before acting.
- Talk to an experienced mass tort attorney. These cases turn on federal procedure and complex science, so specialized experience matters. Most work on contingency, meaning no upfront fee. Our guide on choosing the right attorney can help.
- Act before your deadline. Waiting is the most common way people lose an otherwise valid claim.
Frequently asked questions
What is a mass tort lawsuit?
A mass tort is a legal action where many people harmed by the same product or conduct bring individual claims against the same companies. The cases usually group in a federal multidistrict litigation so courts can handle shared questions efficiently. Unlike a class action, each person keeps a separate case, and payouts reflect each person’s own injuries.
Which mass tort lawsuits are most active in 2026?
The largest active litigations in 2026 include talcum powder, Roundup, AFFF firefighting foam, Ozempic, hair relaxers, Depo-Provera, paraquat, and hernia mesh, among others. Talcum powder ranks biggest, with more than 67,000 pending federal cases. Case counts change monthly as people file new claims.
How do I know if I qualify for a mass tort?
You generally need three things. First, documented use of or exposure to the product. Second, a diagnosis of the specific injury the lawsuit involves. Third, a timely claim under your state’s deadline. Medical records and proof of use are essential. A licensed attorney can confirm whether your specific facts qualify.
How much money can I get from a mass tort settlement?
There is no set amount, and no one can guarantee a result. Settlements usually tier payouts by how severe your injury is and how strong your proof is, so more serious, well-documented claims recover more. Anyone promising a specific payout before reviewing your case is not being straight with you.
Is there a deadline to file a mass tort claim?
Yes. A statute of limitations, often one to three years, governs each claim and varies by state and injury type. The deadline frequently starts at diagnosis. Because missing it can end your claim permanently, check your timeline early.
Do I need a lawyer to join a mass tort?
In practice, yes. These cases involve federal procedure, expert scientific evidence, and strict deadlines that overwhelm most people acting alone. Most mass tort attorneys work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless you recover. That lets you get experienced help without upfront cost.
Related guides
- How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth? A Complete Guide
- Statute of Limitations for Injury Claims
- How Long Does a Lawsuit Take?
- How to Choose the Right Personal Injury Attorney
- What to Expect During a Personal Injury Lawsuit
By the LawsuitProcess Editorial Team. Researched and verified against primary and official sources, including the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, federal district court records, and the U.S. Navy’s Camp Lejeune Justice Act program. Case counts and litigation status reflect reporting from 2026 and change over time. Last updated July 4, 2026.
This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Mass tort eligibility, deadlines, and settlements depend on your specific facts and your state’s laws, which change over time. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Sources
- Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, Pending MDLs. https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/pending-mdls-0
- Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, Statistical Information. https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/statistics-info
- U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina, MDL 2873 (AFFF). https://www.scd.uscourts.gov/mdl-2873/index.asp
- U.S. Navy, Camp Lejeune Justice Act Claims. https://www.navy.mil/clja/
- U.S. District Court, District of Arizona, MDL 3081 (Bard PowerPort). https://www.azd.uscourts.gov/re-bard-implanted-port-catheter-products-liability-litigation
- U.S. Supreme Court, Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, No. 24-1068 (June 25, 2026). https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1068_n7ip.pdf
- Drugwatch, Talcum Powder Lawsuit. https://www.drugwatch.com/talcum-powder/lawsuits/
- Drugwatch, Ozempic Lawsuit. https://www.drugwatch.com/legal/ozempic-lawsuit/
- Drugwatch, Hair Relaxer Lawsuit. https://www.drugwatch.com/hair-relaxers/lawsuit/
- Drugwatch, Depo-Provera Lawsuit. https://www.drugwatch.com/depo-provera/lawsuit/
- Drugwatch, Paraquat Lawsuits. https://www.drugwatch.com/paraquat/lawsuits/
- Drugwatch, Hernia Mesh Lawsuits. https://www.drugwatch.com/hernia-mesh/lawsuits/
- Drugwatch, Tylenol Autism Lawsuit. https://www.drugwatch.com/drugs/tylenol/lawsuit/
- ConsumerNotice, Roundup Lawsuits. https://www.consumernotice.org/legal/roundup-lawsuits/
- TruLaw, Suboxone Tooth Decay Lawsuit. https://trulaw.com/suboxone-tooth-decay-lawsuit/
- Spencer Law, Social Media Addiction Lawsuits 2026. https://www.spencer-law.com/post/social-media-addiction-lawsuits-2026-kgm-trial-mdl-3047
