Top 10 Mass Torts to Watch in 2026 | Power Rankings for Plaintiff Firms

Описание: Mass torts, legal marketing, and case acquisition signals are shifting fast.

In this episode of Tort Talk, Jon Robinson, Marc Rioux, and Joe Fantini track MDL posture, bellwether timing, and defense strategy across active mass tort dockets. Joe Fantini shares his perspective on what actually creates pressure: case workups, trial readiness, and the procedural fights that decide whether these claims reach juries.

Hair Relaxer stays at #1 with 11,000+ active cases and a bellwether timeline that likely pushes into 2027. Social media addiction sits at #2 while a live Los Angeles trial puts platform design, addiction mechanics, and big-tech credibility in front of a jury. Uber climbs into the top three after an $8.5M Arizona verdict, and that result starts changing how the next bellwethers get valued.

The rankings also flag where momentum is building and where it is cooling. Roundup hits a historic low at #5 with Supreme Court timing on the calendar. Roblox enters the list with early leadership structure forming and a looming arbitration fight. Older dockets like Bear Hugger show real movement again as cases get worked up for remand and trial settings begin to land.
If you are a personal injury lawyer, mass tort attorney, or law firm owner tracking litigation strategy, this episode breaks down what matters and what comes next.

Key Takeaways

-How Hair Relaxer’s numerosity and maturity keep it at #1 and what dates matter next
-Why Uber’s $8.5M verdict matters after a prior zero verdict and what a “2-3 more trials” path signals
-What Roundup’s April 27 Supreme Court oral argument date could do to intake strategy
-The Roblox arbitration push and the consent issues that may decide early motion outcomes
-What to watch in weight loss drug MDLs: 3,000 GI cases now and likely bellwethers next year
-How to interpret a $250K talc bellwether inside a 70,000-case MDL

————————— Chapters of this video —————————
00:00 - Introducing Joe Fantini
00:55 - February Top 10 Mass Tort Power Rankings setup
01:41 - Social media addiction trial observations from Los Angeles
01:58 - #10 Bear Hugger: 9,000+ cases and why movement is finally real
02:45 - 150 cases ordered for workup and Texas trial next week
03:22 - #9 Talc: $250K Philadelphia verdict and what it signals
04:10 - Talc MDL scale: nearly 70,000 cases and 2026 outlook
04:52 - #8 Weight loss drugs: two tracks (vision vs GI)
05:12 - GI MDL at 3,000 cases: discovery and motion timeline
06:09 - #7 Roblox MDL: early leadership and larger-than-expected inventory
06:55 - Arbitration strategy and why defendants want lawsuits “behind closed doors”
08:04 - #6 Depo Provera: bellwether targeted for December 2026
08:24 - Preemption concerns and why trial timing matters for future MDLs
09:19 - #5 Roundup: April 27 Supreme Court oral argument and June timing
10:46 - #4 Video game addiction: why it slipped and what keeps it top five
11:49 - #3 Uber sex abuse MDL: $8.5M verdict and bellwether path
13:36 - Lyft consolidation note and what it means for 2026
13:58 - #2 Social media addiction: Zuckerberg expected, pressure building
15:25 - Product defect framing and “YouTube is not social media” defense claim
17:20 - Settlement probability vs roadmap value and case valuation signals
18:03 - Ones to watch: Toxic Baby Food waiting on Daubert
18:42 - New JPML filing: Dupixent and T-cell lymphoma allegations
19:20 - Tylenol watch status and timing expectations
19:50 - #1 Hair Relaxer: 11,000+ cases and likely 2027 bellwether window
20:53 - Conference season note and closing