A single agreement that resolves many related claims at once.

"Single agreement" means one negotiated framework, usually between one defendant and a large group of claimants, instead of separate deals for each person. "Resolves" means it is meant to end some or all pending lawsuits, often with releases that prevent further claims over the same alleged harm. "Many related claims" usually means injuries tied to the same product, event, or course of conduct, such as a defective drug, toxic exposure, or a series of crashes. In a mass tort or class action, the parties may set overall payment terms, eligibility rules, deadlines, and a process for reviewing individual claims.

In practice, a global settlement can speed up compensation, reduce litigation costs, and bring predictability to both sides. It may also create tradeoffs. Individual claimants often have to weigh a quicker payout against the possibility that a separate case could be worth more. The details matter: allocation formulas, medical proof requirements, lien handling, and whether participation is voluntary or tied to court approval.

For an injury claim, the settlement structure can strongly affect value. Missouri does not cap non-economic damages in auto accident or general negligence cases, which can influence bargaining when many serious injury claims are being valued together. Even so, a claimant usually must still meet filing deadlines under Missouri's statutes of limitation and any settlement-specific registration deadlines.