Legal Resources
Last Updated: April 10, 2026
Essential external resources for researching mass tort cases, accessing court records, reviewing scientific studies, and finding legal assistance.
Federal Courts & Case Lookup
Search and access federal court case documents, filings, and dockets.
The body that decides whether to consolidate cases into MDLs and assigns transferee courts.
Research and statistics on federal MDL proceedings, including pending MDL statistics.
Regulatory Agencies
FDA's safety reporting system for drugs, devices, and other regulated products.
Environmental regulations, contamination tracking, and PFAS/chemical safety information.
Health assessments for communities near hazardous waste sites, including Camp Lejeune.
Product recalls, safety reports, and consumer product hazard information.
Scientific & Medical Research
Searchable database of biomedical and life sciences literature — essential for researching drug and chemical safety studies.
WHO agency that evaluates carcinogenicity of substances. Their classifications are key evidence in mass tort cases.
U.S. program that evaluates substances of public health concern for toxicity and carcinogenicity.
Legal Information & Bar Associations
Resources for finding attorneys, understanding legal rights, and accessing legal information.
Free access to federal and state statutes, court opinions, and legal encyclopedias.
Free legal information, lawyer directory, and case law search.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I look up federal mass tort case filings?
PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) at pacer.uscourts.gov allows you to search and access federal court documents, filings, and dockets for all mass tort MDLs.
How do I find out if a drug or device has safety warnings?
The FDA's MedWatch system tracks adverse event reports, safety alerts, and recalls for drugs, medical devices, and other regulated products.
Where can I research the scientific evidence behind a mass tort?
PubMed (National Library of Medicine) provides searchable access to biomedical literature, and IARC evaluates carcinogenicity of substances relevant to mass tort claims.
How do I find a mass tort attorney?
The American Bar Association directory and state bar association websites can help you locate attorneys who specialize in mass tort and product liability litigation.
What is the JPML and what does it do?
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation decides whether to consolidate related federal cases into an MDL and assigns them to a single judge for pretrial proceedings.