San Diego Class Action & Mass Tort Lawyer

One defective device or unlawful and deceptive business practice can cause a great deal of damage, and victims may require skilled legal counsel to ensure that they receive the compensation they need. 

When unlawful practices affect a large group of people, and the case is filed as a class action or mass tort, the legal process becomes much more complex. If you're wondering whether your situation could qualify for this kind of lawsuit, it’s important to have an attorney who understands the unique challenges involved. Coordinating and representing hundreds, or even hundreds of thousands, of people requires deep legal knowledge, strategic planning, and the resources to manage a case on that scale.

Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire offers you experienced legal counsel in the San Diego area. We can help you explore the options available for your lawsuit, determine which course of action is right for your case, and file a lawsuit if that is the right choice for you. 

For over 47 years, we’ve built a reputation for delivering real results. Not just big numbers, but outcomes that truly matter to the people we represent. We take that responsibility seriously, and we’re ready to put our experience to work for you. Get in touch with our team today online or by calling (619) 236-9363.

“The team at Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire took the time to really get to know our family. Their compassion and commitment to justice made a big impact on us and on our outcome. I would highly recommend each and every one on their team.”

- Lynne D. | Client

Our San Diego Class Action Attorneys Have Handled a Variety of Class Action and Mass Tort Litigation Cases

These cases involve many people, complex facts, and often powerful companies with deep pockets. To give your case the best chance at being certified and ultimately succeeding, you need a legal team that knows how to navigate these challenges from start to finish.

At Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire, we have a long history of helping clients across San Diego and beyond stand up against corporate negligence, unsafe products, and unfair practices. Our attorneys have secured major victories in class action and mass tort cases involving:

• Defective medical devices and implants
• Dangerous or faulty vehicles, including cars, trucks, and auto parts
• Household appliances that pose safety risks or don’t perform as promised
• Deceptive or unlawful business practices, including consumer fraud
• Military medical malpractice or toxic exposure, especially involving systemic failures, such as those experienced at the Camp Lejeune military base

Whether your case involves a physical injury, financial loss, or ongoing harm caused by a corporation or government agency, we’re here to listen and help you take action.

Even if your situation is part of a larger issue, you still deserve a legal team that sees you as an individual. You need a San Diego class action lawyer who will listen, understand what you’ve been through, and treat your case with the attention and urgency it deserves.

What's the Difference: San Diego Class Action Lawsuit vs. Mass Tort?

It's easy to get class action lawsuits and mass tort lawsuits in San Diego mixed up. Both types of cases involve many people who have been harmed by the same bad product, dishonest business practice, or dangerous situation. However, they work in different ways to get justice for those affected.

San Diego Class Action Lawsuit

A company might sell a popular smart home device that turns out to have a small but widespread defect. Thousands of people bought this device and are facing the same minor inconvenience. 

In a situation like this, it might make sense for one or a few people to step forward and represent everyone who bought the defective device. This is a class action lawsuit. All the affected customers become part of one "class," and the lawsuit moves forward as a single case. 

If the lawsuit is successful, any compensation awarded, like a refund for the defective device, is typically divided among everyone in the class, often equally or based on certain criteria. The idea is that everyone's injury is pretty similar, and it's more efficient to handle it all at once. 

Mass Tort Lawsuit in San Diego

In the case of a mass tort, a medical device manufacturer releases an implant that, years later, is found to cause serious, differing health problems in many patients. Some might need painful revision surgeries, others could suffer from chronic pain, and some might face life-threatening complications. 

While all these patients were harmed by the same defective device, their injuries are unique and can vary greatly in severity. In this situation, a mass tort lawsuit might be the preferred approach. 

Instead of one large group, each affected person still brings their own individual lawsuit. Even though these individual cases are related to the same core issue and often grouped together for efficiency (especially during the information-gathering phase), each person's specific injuries and losses are looked at separately. This allows for compensation to be tailored to the actual harm each person suffered.

Class actions and mass torts are powerful ways to hold companies or individuals accountable when they cause harm to many people. If you're not sure which type of case applies to your situation, that’s perfectly understandable.

The best way to figure out what fits your situation is to talk with a San Diego mass tort lawyer at Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire. We help people in San Diego understand their options and take the next right step forward. If you have any questions about your potential claim, contact our team today online or by calling (619) 236-9363.

What Kind of Compensation Can a San Diego Mass Tort Attorney Help Me Recover?

When large companies cut corners or put profits over people, the harm they cause can be widespread and devastating. In mass tort cases, people often suffer serious, even life-changing injuries. In class actions, the damage might be financial or less visible, but still very real. No matter the type of harm, if you’ve been affected, you deserve to be fully compensated for what you’ve lost.

Compensation isn’t just about the money. It’s about helping you rebuild your life and holding the responsible party accountable. What you may be able to recover depends on your specific case, but may include:

• Past and future medical expenses: This can include emergency treatment, surgeries, long-term care, medications, physical therapy, and any future medical needs related to your injury.
• Lost wages or future earning capacity: If you’ve missed work or can’t return to your previous career because of your injury, you may be able to recover both past and future lost income.
• Pain and suffering: This includes the physical pain and emotional toll your injury has taken on your quality of life, relationships, and sense of well-being.
• Wrongful death damages: Defective products or dangerous devices can lead to the loss of a loved one. You and your family may be entitled to damages to cover funeral and burial costs, lost financial support, the deep loss of companionship, and the emotional pain your family experiences.
• Punitive damages: In some cases, the harm caused goes beyond simple mistakes. When a company acts with reckless disregard or intentionally puts people in danger, punitive damages may be awarded. These damages are meant not only to punish the wrongdoer but also to send a clear message that this kind of behavior won’t be tolerated.
• Other related losses: Depending on the case, this might cover property damage, transportation for medical care, or replacement of a defective product.

For example, if you joined a class action involving a defective car part, you might be eligible for repair costs or a partial refund. But if you were injured by a faulty medical device or toxic exposure, a mass tort case could involve more significant compensation for serious medical treatment, long-term disability, and lasting emotional impact.

At Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire, we’re here to fight for everything you're owed, not just what’s easiest to recover. Our San Diego class action attorneys take the time to understand the full scope of what you’ve been through so we can build the strongest possible case on your behalf.

A study by Martindale and Nolo shows that hiring a personal injury lawyer can greatly improve your chances of receiving compensation. More than 90% of people with legal help got a settlement or award, compared to just about half of those who handled their own claims.

The difference doesn’t stop there. On average, people with lawyers received $77,600, while those without settled for around $17,600. Having the right attorney can make a real difference in both your outcome and peace of mind.

Who Can a San Diego Mass Tort Lawyer Hold Responsible?

In both class actions and mass torts, figuring out who is at fault is a crucial step. The goal is to hold the right people or companies accountable for the harm they've caused.

Often, the responsible parties can be:

• Manufacturers: Companies that design, make, or sell defective products, like a car company selling a vehicle with faulty brakes or a pharmaceutical company selling a dangerous drug without proper warnings.
• Corporations: Large businesses that engage in unfair business practices, misleading advertising, or violate employment laws. This could be a bank with hidden fees or an employer with discriminatory practices.
• Government Entities: While more complex, it is sometimes possible to hold a government agency accountable, for example, if a city ignored a toxic water issue.
• Individuals: While less common in large-scale class actions or mass torts, individuals can sometimes be held liable, especially if their actions as part of a larger organization led to widespread harm.

For instance, if a major appliance company knowingly sold refrigerators with a fire risk to millions of households, that could lead to a class action lawsuit. If thousands of patients suffered serious complications from the same faulty drug or CPAP machine, the company behind it could face a mass tort lawsuit.

At Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire, we hold every responsible party accountable, no matter how large or powerful, and build a strong case against them.

Why Hire Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire

Since 1978, our San Diego-based firm has been standing up for people just like you. We were one of the first firms in the region to take on complex class action and mass tort cases on a contingency basis, and we’ve secured more than $2 billion in verdicts and settlements for our clients. 

We don’t back down from a challenge. Whether it’s a dangerous drug, a defective device, or a corporation that chose profit over people, we fight smart and hard in the courtroom and beyond. If you believe you may have a case, we’re ready to listen, answer your questions, and help you take the next step. Our track record includes major victories such as:

• $30 Million Settlement: A medical malpractice case that uncovered a corporate scheme allowing dozens of patients to undergo unnecessary joint replacement surgeries. What began as a single case led to systemic accountability.
• $55 Million Settlement: The largest False Claims Act recovery in U.S. history without government intervention, involving falsified inspection records on multiple solid-fuel rocket systems over a ten-year span.

Reach out to our team today at (619) 236-9363 or send us a message online to schedule a free consultation.