Class action: In this case, very few named plaintiffs (often just one or two) represent many unnamed parties also affected. If the claim is successful, all claimants, named and unnamed, receive the settlement outlined. Mass tort: A mass tort is the result of many individuals sustaining injury from a single incident — a defective product or large-scale accident affecting many people, for example. The parts of the case each injured individual has in common would be worked on all at once, but the parts of the case pertaining to each individual and how they were affected by the incident are dealt with separately. A successful case ends with each participating plaintiff receiving a unique settlement or verdict depending on their case. Single-plaintiff: This occurs when one individual was injured, such as a one-on-one vehicle accident or a workplace injury suffered by an employee. In this case, a single suit would be filed on behalf of the injured individual against the responsible party.