What is a mass tort and how is it different from a class action?

Mass tort consolidates many individual injury claims against a common defendant where each plaintiff has different facts, injuries, and damages. Class action treats plaintiffs as a single group with identical claims and shared recovery. Mass tort plaintiffs keep their individual cases and get individual settlement amounts based on their specific facts. Most major drug, medical device, and toxic exposure cases are mass torts (consolidated as Multidistrict Litigation, MDL) rather than class actions because injury severity varies enormously.

What is the Roundup MDL status in May 2026?

In re: Roundup Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2741, Northern District of California, Judge Vince Chhabria. Bayer has paid approximately $11 billion in Roundup settlements through 2024-2025. New cases are still being filed and consolidated. Recent verdicts include a $1.56 billion Missouri jury verdict in August 2024 (subsequently reduced by trial court but appeal pending), plus mixed Bayer trial outcomes in late 2024 through early 2026. Average individual settlement values have ranged from $5,000 to $250,000 depending on cancer type, exposure duration, and venue.

What about 3M Combat Arms Earplug MDL?

In re: 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2885, Northern District of Florida, Judge Casey Rodgers. 3M announced a $6 billion global settlement in August 2023 covering approximately 250,000 claimants. Most of 2024-2025 was spent on claims processing through the AlphaWatch claims administrator. Average settlement per claimant has been approximately $24,000, with severe hearing loss cases recovering substantially more. Late opt-out cases continue but the majority is resolved.

Are Camp Lejeune claims still being filed?

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) administrative claim filing window closed August 10, 2024 (two-year statutory deadline). Cases now proceed in litigation at the Eastern District of North Carolina. The DOJ and Navy announced the Elective Option settlement framework in 2023 with tiered payments based on diagnosed condition and exposure duration: Tier 1 conditions (specific cancers) get $150,000 to $450,000 per individual based on exposure years. Most plaintiff firms view the Elective Option as low and pursue litigation instead. As of May 2026 approximately 500,000+ administrative claims and roughly 200,000+ federal court cases were pending.

What is the hair relaxer MDL status?

In re: Hair Relaxer Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 3060, Northern District of Illinois, Judge Mary Rowland. Consolidates claims alleging hair relaxer products (L'Oreal, Revlon, Strength of Nature, Soft Sheen, Carson, others) caused uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and endometriosis through chemical exposure (formaldehyde-releasing agents). Bellwether selection occurred 2024-2025. Daubert motions on causation pending into mid-2026. No global settlement as of May 2026. Average settlement projections range from $50,000 for less severe cases to $1.5 million for catastrophic cancer cases if settlements materialize.

What is happening with talc and Johnson & Johnson?

In re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2738, District of New Jersey. J&J's second Texas two-step bankruptcy filing (LTL Management II) was dismissed in summer 2024, following the dismissal of LTL Management I in 2023. J&J then announced an $8.9 billion proposed settlement in October 2024 covering current and future ovarian cancer claims. As of May 2026 the settlement is still in implementation negotiations with plaintiff steering committee. Individual high-end verdicts continue, with several 2024-2025 plaintiff verdicts in the $20 million to $100 million range.

What about PFAS and AFFF litigation?

In re: Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2873, District of South Carolina, Judge Richard Gergel. Water utility claims settled in 2023-2024 for combined $10 billion plus (3M paid $10.3 billion, DuPont/Chemours/Corteva paid $1.18 billion). 2025-2026 focus shifted to individual personal injury claims for cancers linked to PFAS exposure (kidney, testicular, thyroid, ulcerative colitis). Approximately 8,000+ individual PI cases pending. Settlement averages for individual cases not yet established as bellwether trials and Daubert motions on individual causation are still being worked through.

What is the social media addiction MDL?

In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, MDL 3047, Northern District of California, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. Consolidates claims against Meta (Facebook, Instagram), TikTok, Snap, and YouTube alleging platform design caused adolescent mental health crises (eating disorders, suicide, depression, addiction). Massive case with thousands of plaintiffs filed by individuals, school districts, and state attorneys general. Defense motions to dismiss largely failed in late 2023 through 2025. Discovery is ongoing. No bellwether trial date confirmed as of May 2026. Expected to be one of the defining mass torts of the late 2020s.

What is the status of Suboxone tooth decay litigation?

In re: Suboxone (Buprenorphine/Naloxone) Film Products Liability Litigation, MDL 3092, Northern District of Ohio. Plaintiffs allege Indivior's Suboxone film caused severe tooth decay and dental injury. Cases are advancing through bellwether selection 2025-2026. No global settlement and limited individual settlements as of May 2026.

What happened to Zantac and Tylenol autism litigation?

Zantac: Most federal cases dismissed in December 2022 by Judge Robin Rosenberg in MDL 2924 (SD Fla) on Daubert grounds (general causation rejected). Some state court cases survived. Settlements have been limited. Tylenol/Acetaminophen autism: Most cases dismissed in mid-2023 by Judge Denise Cote in SDNY (MDL 3043) on Daubert (general causation rejected). Some state court cases remain. Both serve as cautionary tales about general causation rejection torpedoing entire mass torts.

How do CPAP (Philips Respironics) claims stand in May 2026?

In re: Philips Recalled CPAP, Bi-Level PAP, and Mechanical Ventilator Products Liability Litigation, MDL 3014, Western District of Pennsylvania. Philips recalled millions of CPAP and BiPAP devices in 2021 due to PE-PUR foam degradation releasing particulates and chemicals. Economic loss class settlement approved 2023-2024 covering device replacement. Personal injury settlements (cancer, respiratory injury) are ongoing case-by-case with no global PI settlement yet as of May 2026.

What about Paragard IUD, Exactech, and other current MDLs?

Paragard IUD: MDL 2974, Northern District of Georgia. Alleges device breakage on removal causing surgical injury. Bellwether trials underway 2025-2026. Exactech hip/knee implant recall: MDL 3044, Eastern District of New York. Polyethylene component degradation. Bellwether selection 2025. AngioDynamics Port-a-Cath: state court consolidation in multiple jurisdictions. Bard hernia mesh: largely settled in late 2024 with $4 billion plus aggregate. Numerous other smaller MDLs at varying stages.

★ mass tort tracker · updated may 2026

Active mass tort & MDL status,
May 2026.

By MyClaimWorth EditorialPublished 23 May 202612 min read

★ tl;dr

Most major US mass torts are in active litigation in May 2026. Roundup (Bayer paid $11B+), 3M earplug ($6B settled), and water utility PFAS ($11B+) are mature. Camp Lejeune admin window closed August 2024; cases now in litigation. Hair relaxer, J&J talc, individual PFAS PI, social media addiction, Paragard, Exactech, and CPAP all still moving. Tylenol autism and Zantac mostly dismissed on Daubert.

Mass torts are weird beasts. Each is technically thousands or tens of thousands of individual cases, but they get treated as one large litigation through Multidistrict Litigation (MDL). A single federal judge supervises pretrial discovery, expert rulings, and bellwether trials. Then cases either settle in waves or get remanded back to the federal districts where they originated for individual trial.

The pattern is consistent. A scientific signal emerges (epidemiological study links a product to a disease). Plaintiff firms file early cases. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidates them in an MDL. The MDL judge picks bellwether cases and rules on Daubert motions about expert testimony admissibility. If general causation holds up, bellwether trials produce results that signal settlement value. If general causation fails (Daubert exclusion), the whole MDL collapses (see Zantac, Tylenol).

The current May 2026 status of the major MDLs is in the table below. Bookmark this page; we update it as bellwether results, settlement frameworks, and new MDLs emerge.

★ major MDLs · current status

The MDL board.

Snapshot of the leading active mass torts as of 23 May 2026. Status updates as bellwethers resolve and settlement frameworks crystallize.

Active mass tort MDLs status, May 2026.
Mass tort	MDL	Court	Status
Roundup	MDL 2741	ND Cal · Chhabria	Bayer paid ~$11B; ongoing trials & late opts; $1.56B MO verdict Aug 2024
3M Earplug	MDL 2885	ND Fla · Rodgers	$6B settlement Aug 2023; ~250k claimants; ~$24k average
Camp Lejeune	EDNC	EDNC · multiple	Admin window closed Aug 10 2024; Elective Option $150k–$450k tiers
Hair Relaxer	MDL 3060	ND Ill · Rowland	Bellwether selection 2025; Daubert motions; no global settlement
Talc (J&J)	MDL 2738	DNJ · Wolfson (ret)	$8.9B proposed settlement Oct 2024; 2 LTL bankruptcies dismissed
PFAS/AFFF	MDL 2873	DSC · Gergel	$11B+ water utility settlements; ~8k individual PI cases pending
Social Media	MDL 3047	ND Cal · Gonzalez Rogers	Discovery ongoing; defense MTDs largely failed; bellwether TBD
Suboxone	MDL 3092	ND Ohio · Calabrese	Bellwether selection 2025-2026; limited settlements
Paragard IUD	MDL 2974	ND Ga · Cohen	Bellwether trials 2025-2026
Exactech implants	MDL 3044	EDNY · multiple	Bellwether selection 2025; PE component degradation
CPAP (Philips)	MDL 3014	WD Pa · Conti	Economic loss class settled; PI claims ongoing case-by-case

★ mass torts · frequently asked

Common questions.

Each answer is self-contained.

What is a mass tort and how is it different from a class action?
Mass tort consolidates many individual injury claims against a common defendant where each plaintiff has different facts, injuries, and damages. Class action treats plaintiffs as a single group with identical claims and shared recovery. Mass tort plaintiffs keep their individual cases and get individual settlement amounts based on their specific facts. Most major drug, medical device, and toxic exposure cases are mass torts (consolidated as Multidistrict Litigation, MDL) rather than class actions because injury severity varies enormously.
What is the Roundup MDL status in May 2026?
In re: Roundup Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2741, Northern District of California, Judge Vince Chhabria. Bayer has paid approximately $11 billion in Roundup settlements through 2024-2025. New cases are still being filed and consolidated. Recent verdicts include a $1.56 billion Missouri jury verdict in August 2024 (subsequently reduced by trial court but appeal pending), plus mixed Bayer trial outcomes in late 2024 through early 2026. Average individual settlement values have ranged from $5,000 to $250,000 depending on cancer type, exposure duration, and venue.
What about 3M Combat Arms Earplug MDL?
In re: 3M Combat Arms Earplug Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2885, Northern District of Florida, Judge Casey Rodgers. 3M announced a $6 billion global settlement in August 2023 covering approximately 250,000 claimants. Most of 2024-2025 was spent on claims processing through the AlphaWatch claims administrator. Average settlement per claimant has been approximately $24,000, with severe hearing loss cases recovering substantially more. Late opt-out cases continue but the majority is resolved.
Are Camp Lejeune claims still being filed?
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) administrative claim filing window closed August 10, 2024 (two-year statutory deadline). Cases now proceed in litigation at the Eastern District of North Carolina. The DOJ and Navy announced the Elective Option settlement framework in 2023 with tiered payments based on diagnosed condition and exposure duration: Tier 1 conditions (specific cancers) get $150,000 to $450,000 per individual based on exposure years. Most plaintiff firms view the Elective Option as low and pursue litigation instead. As of May 2026 approximately 500,000+ administrative claims and roughly 200,000+ federal court cases were pending.
What is the hair relaxer MDL status?
In re: Hair Relaxer Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 3060, Northern District of Illinois, Judge Mary Rowland. Consolidates claims alleging hair relaxer products (L'Oreal, Revlon, Strength of Nature, Soft Sheen, Carson, others) caused uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and endometriosis through chemical exposure (formaldehyde-releasing agents). Bellwether selection occurred 2024-2025. Daubert motions on causation pending into mid-2026. No global settlement as of May 2026. Average settlement projections range from $50,000 for less severe cases to $1.5 million for catastrophic cancer cases if settlements materialize.
What is happening with talc and Johnson & Johnson?
In re: Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Products Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2738, District of New Jersey. J&J's second Texas two-step bankruptcy filing (LTL Management II) was dismissed in summer 2024, following the dismissal of LTL Management I in 2023. J&J then announced an $8.9 billion proposed settlement in October 2024 covering current and future ovarian cancer claims. As of May 2026 the settlement is still in implementation negotiations with plaintiff steering committee. Individual high-end verdicts continue, with several 2024-2025 plaintiff verdicts in the $20 million to $100 million range.
What about PFAS and AFFF litigation?
In re: Aqueous Film-Forming Foams Products Liability Litigation, MDL 2873, District of South Carolina, Judge Richard Gergel. Water utility claims settled in 2023-2024 for combined $10 billion plus (3M paid $10.3 billion, DuPont/Chemours/Corteva paid $1.18 billion). 2025-2026 focus shifted to individual personal injury claims for cancers linked to PFAS exposure (kidney, testicular, thyroid, ulcerative colitis). Approximately 8,000+ individual PI cases pending. Settlement averages for individual cases not yet established as bellwether trials and Daubert motions on individual causation are still being worked through.
What is the social media addiction MDL?
In re: Social Media Adolescent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, MDL 3047, Northern District of California, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. Consolidates claims against Meta (Facebook, Instagram), TikTok, Snap, and YouTube alleging platform design caused adolescent mental health crises (eating disorders, suicide, depression, addiction). Massive case with thousands of plaintiffs filed by individuals, school districts, and state attorneys general. Defense motions to dismiss largely failed in late 2023 through 2025. Discovery is ongoing. No bellwether trial date confirmed as of May 2026. Expected to be one of the defining mass torts of the late 2020s.
What is the status of Suboxone tooth decay litigation?
In re: Suboxone (Buprenorphine/Naloxone) Film Products Liability Litigation, MDL 3092, Northern District of Ohio. Plaintiffs allege Indivior's Suboxone film caused severe tooth decay and dental injury. Cases are advancing through bellwether selection 2025-2026. No global settlement and limited individual settlements as of May 2026.
What happened to Zantac and Tylenol autism litigation?
Zantac: Most federal cases dismissed in December 2022 by Judge Robin Rosenberg in MDL 2924 (SD Fla) on Daubert grounds (general causation rejected). Some state court cases survived. Settlements have been limited. Tylenol/Acetaminophen autism: Most cases dismissed in mid-2023 by Judge Denise Cote in SDNY (MDL 3043) on Daubert (general causation rejected). Some state court cases remain. Both serve as cautionary tales about general causation rejection torpedoing entire mass torts.
How do CPAP (Philips Respironics) claims stand in May 2026?
In re: Philips Recalled CPAP, Bi-Level PAP, and Mechanical Ventilator Products Liability Litigation, MDL 3014, Western District of Pennsylvania. Philips recalled millions of CPAP and BiPAP devices in 2021 due to PE-PUR foam degradation releasing particulates and chemicals. Economic loss class settlement approved 2023-2024 covering device replacement. Personal injury settlements (cancer, respiratory injury) are ongoing case-by-case with no global PI settlement yet as of May 2026.
What about Paragard IUD, Exactech, and other current MDLs?
Paragard IUD: MDL 2974, Northern District of Georgia. Alleges device breakage on removal causing surgical injury. Bellwether trials underway 2025-2026. Exactech hip/knee implant recall: MDL 3044, Eastern District of New York. Polyethylene component degradation. Bellwether selection 2025. AngioDynamics Port-a-Cath: state court consolidation in multiple jurisdictions. Bard hernia mesh: largely settled in late 2024 with $4 billion plus aggregate. Numerous other smaller MDLs at varying stages.

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★ editorial note

Mass tort status changes rapidly. Bellwether verdicts, Daubert rulings, and settlement framework announcements move case value materially within weeks. This page reflects status as of 23 May 2026. For active representation, consult a mass tort attorney with experience in the specific MDL. See /methodology, /sources, and the rolling /changes log for legal-reform updates.

Active mass tort & MDL status,May 2026.

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Active mass tort & MDL status,
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