Skikos, Crawford, Skikos & Joseph represents clients in mass tort as well as single injury cases. Our approach to evaluating and handling both types of cases consists of careful evaluation of the merits of the case and a detailed workup and preparation of the case to achieve the best results possible for our clients.
We Primarily Handle Our Mass Tort Cases Individually
A "mass tort" occurs when a company's wrongful conduct harms numerous individuals. These cases can be handled as a class action, as individual cases or as a combination of both.
Though some cases are particularly suited to be handled in a class action - and our firm in appropriate instances handles such class action cases - we believe that in most mass tort cases involving serious injuries a better result can be achieved by handling the cases on an individual basis.
This is our philosophy in handling mass tort cases involving serious injuries resulting from defective pharmaceutical drugs and defective products.
Our Twofold Approach To Mass Tort Litigations
When we handle mass tort cases on an individual basis, we generally take a twofold approach to those cases in order to provide the best service for our clients.
Nationally Recognized Leaders
First, many mass torts we work on are coordinated nationally in the federal courts and on a statewide basis before single judges for investigation, discovery and pre-trial work, before being sent back to their home jurisdictions for trial. Our attorneys often take leadership roles in these coordinated proceedings, where we work with other select firms approved by the courts on litigation strategy, law and motion and discovery. Our lawyers then take the individual cases to trial where necessary after the coordinated proceedings are concluded, or resolve the cases through settlement.
Lawyers at our firm have taken a leadership role many mass tort cases, a sampling of those cases and our leadership roles include:
- Baycol Litigation
- California Coordinated Proceeding: Liaison Counsel
- Gadolinium-Based Contrast Agents
- MDL: Plaintiffs' Executive Committee; Plaintiffs' Steering Committee
- Metabolife (Ephedra)
- California Coordinated Proceeding: Liaison Counsel
- Ortho-Evra
- MDL: Liaison Counsel; Court Appointed Mediator; Science/Medicine Committee
- PPA Litigation
- California Coordinated Proceeding: Co-Liaison Counsel
- Reglan
- California Coordinated Proceeding: Co-Liaison Counsel
- Rezulin
- California Coordinated Proceeding: Co-Liaison Counsel; Science and Expert Committee
- In Re Toyota Motor Cases
- Plaintiffs' Steering Committee for Personal Injury/Wrongful Death
- Yaz, Yamsin & Ocella
- MDL: State-Federal Liaison Counsel to the California Coordinate Proceeding; Discovery Committee; Science Committee
- California Coordinated Proceeding: Plaintiffs' Executive Committee; Plaintiffs' Co-Liaison Counsel
- Vioxx
- California Coordinated Proceeding: Plaintiffs' Executive Committee
- We have acted as lead or co-lead negotiator in several litigations, including: Zyprexa, Zicam, Vioxx
Individual Attention and Service
Second, we do extensive workup of our individual cases so that cases with a likelihood of significant recovery are selected, and so those cases are ready for trial or settlement once the coordinated proceedings are concluded. Our workup includes collecting information from our individual clients, ordering and reviewing client medical and other records, consulting with experts and keeping abreast of scientific developments related to the litigation. Throughout this process you will be treated with the utmost level of respect and dignity by our attorneys and staff.
By handling mass tort cases in this manner, our attorneys historically have achieved the best results for our clients either through settlement or trial.
We Take The Same Careful Approach In All Our Areas Of Practice
Our attorneys similarly take a thorough and careful approach in our individual non-mass tort cases in the personal injury, employment, insurance and commercial litigation practice areas.
To discuss your legal issue with a member of our firm, please contact us today.
