Multidistrict litigation is a legal procedure in United States federal courts in which lawsuits involving similar issues (common issues of fact) are consolidated in one court (called the MDL court) for the purpose of convenience and efficiency in pretrial matters, such as discovery. These lawsuits are generally returned to their original federal district courts for trial. Claims that are often the subject of multidistrict litigation are product liability claims against pharmaceutical companies, securities fraud cases, and airplane crashes.
In California, as in other states, multidistrict litigation (MDL) is a federal legal procedure that consolidates multiple lawsuits involving common factual issues to improve efficiency and convenience during pretrial proceedings. This process is governed by federal law, specifically 28 U.S.C. § 1407. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) decides whether cases should be transferred to an MDL court. While the MDL process centralizes pretrial activities such as discovery and motions, individual cases typically return to their original jurisdictions for trial unless they are settled or dismissed. MDLs are commonly used for complex cases like product liability suits involving pharmaceuticals, securities fraud, and major accidents like airplane crashes. It's important to note that while MDLs are a federal matter, they can include cases that originated in California's federal district courts.