A mass tort is a civil lawsuit that involves hundreds or thousands of plaintiffs and one or a few defendants in which the plaintiffs have the same or similar claims against the defendant or defendants. Mass tort lawsuits are often filed as class action lawsuits (a procedural mechanism for joining the plaintiffs in one lawsuit), and are typically based on alleged wrongful acts (torts) such as exposure of the plaintiffs to harmful substances (asbestos or benzene), or defective products (pharmaceuticals or medical devices), or invasions of privacy (data breaches).

In Georgia, as in other states, a mass tort is a type of civil lawsuit where numerous plaintiffs bring similar claims against one or a few defendants. These cases often arise from exposure to harmful substances, defective products, or privacy violations such as data breaches. Mass torts in Georgia are governed by both state and federal laws, as they may involve complex legal and factual issues that cross state lines. When mass torts are filed as class action lawsuits, they must comply with the procedural rules set forth in the Georgia Civil Practice Act, as well as the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure if the case is in federal court. These rules dictate how a lawsuit can be certified as a class action, including requirements that the claims of the class members must have common legal or factual questions and that the class representative must adequately protect the interests of the class. Mass torts are often consolidated for pretrial proceedings through mechanisms such as multidistrict litigation (MDL) to streamline the process and handle the cases more efficiently.