What Is Multidistrict Litigation (MDL)?
An MDL gathers similar federal lawsuits from across the country before a single judge to handle pretrial proceedings efficiently.
Multidistrict litigation (MDL) is a federal procedure that transfers similar lawsuits filed in different districts to one judge for coordinated pretrial proceedings. The cases stay separate, but discovery, motions and settlement talks are handled together.
How an MDL is created
Under 28 U.S.C. § 1407, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation decides whether cases share common questions of fact and whether centralizing them would be more convenient and efficient. If so, it picks a court and a judge, known as the transferee court, to handle them.
Why it matters to you
MDLs come up in two very different settings, and knowing which one you are in tells you what to do:
- ✓Mass torts: injury cases over drugs, medical devices or products. Each plaintiff usually needs their own lawyer and lawsuit to participate.
- ✓Consumer and data breach cases: multiple proposed class actions are consolidated into an MDL, and any settlement is a class settlement you can claim through an administrator.
In the second case, you do not need to have filed anything. If a class settlement comes out of the MDL, notice and a claim form follow the usual process.
A simple example
After a large data breach, dozens of proposed class actions are filed in courts around the country. The panel centralizes them in one district. Lead lawyers are appointed, the cases are combined into one complaint, and a single class settlement is eventually reached and offered to everyone affected.
MDLs often use bellwether trials: a small number of representative cases go to trial first to give both sides a sense of how juries value the claims. Those results commonly shape later settlement talks. MDL judges also appoint leadership committees of plaintiffs' lawyers to coordinate the litigation on everyone's behalf, which keeps hundreds or thousands of cases moving together.
Related terms
MDLs are common in mass torts and are also used for class actions. For how the two compare, see class action vs mass tort. You can follow MDL filings on the court docket.
When an MDL produces a class settlement you can claim, SettleScout will flag it if it matches the brands and services you have added.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an MDL the same as a class action?
No. An MDL coordinates many separate cases before one judge. A class action is a single case on behalf of a group. Class actions can be part of an MDL.
Do I need a lawyer to be part of an MDL?
For mass tort injury cases, usually yes. For a class settlement that comes out of an MDL, you can typically claim directly without a lawyer.
What happens to MDL cases after pretrial proceedings?
Cases that do not settle are generally sent back to their original courts for trial, though many resolve through settlement first.
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