What is Multidistrict Litigation (MDL)?
Multidistrict litigation, or MDL for short, is a way to consolidate numerous related mass tort cases into a single docket in federal district court. This means a plaintiff who lives in, say, Wisconsin, may find his or her case being managed in the Northern District of Florida or the Eastern District of Texas, to cite examples. KR Law is especially adept at navigating and managing MDLs. Pursuing and forming an MDL creates an efficiency in which litigation costs can be reduced, the outcome of individual cases can remain consistent and any settlement reached can be made on a global basis affecting all plaintiffs. The cases themselves remain separately litigated, and a steering committee of involved attorneys is often formed to manage the complexity of the MDL. MDLs are formed via decisions made by the U.S. Judicial Panel of Multidistrict Litigation (JPML). Either plaintiffs or defendants can seek to centralize actions into an MDL, and the JPML convenes to hear arguments from both sides. It is the JPML that selects the district court that will serve as “home court,” and also the presiding judge.