Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-alsd-1_15-cv-00509/USCOURTS-alsd-1_15-cv-00509-1/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 195
Nature of Suit: Contract Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1332 Diversity-Product Liability

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF ALABAMA

SOUTHERN DIVISION

PHILLIP STRINGER, )

)

Plaintiff, )

)

v. ) Civil Action No. 15-00509-N

)

VOLKSWAGEN GROUP OF )

AMERICA, INC, et al, )

)

Defendants. )

ORDER

This action is before the undersigned United States Magistrate Judge on 

Defendants’ Motion to Stay Pending a Ruling by the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict 

Litigation (JPML) (Doc. 9). The Motion is unopposed. Doc. 9 at 1. After 

consideration of the pleadings, and for the reasons explained herein, the Motion to 

Stay is GRANTED.

The JPML has designated cases of this type for inclusion in MDL No. 2672 In 

Re: Volkswagen ‘Clean Diesel’ Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability 

Litigation. Doc. 9 at 1. On December 3, 2015, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the JPML 

will hear the motions to certify this and other cases for MDL handling and select 

the jurisdiction where the MDL cases will be transferred. Id.

“[A] majority of courts have concluded that it is often appropriate to stay 

preliminary pretrial proceedings while a motion to transfer and consolidate is 

pending with the MDL Panel because of the judicial resources conserved.” Rivers v. 

Walt Disney Co., 980 F. Supp. 1358, 1362 (C.D. Cal. 1997); see also Maiben v. CSX 

Case 1:15-cv-00509-N Document 10 Filed 11/09/15 Page 1 of 2
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Transp., Inc., No. 09-0125-WS-B, 2009 WL 1211186, at *1 (S.D. Ala. May 1, 2009) 

(staying litigation pending transfer to MDL). Accordingly, the Defendants’ Motion to

Stay is GRANTED. This action is hereby STAYED until the Court is notified of the 

JPML’s decision concerning transfer. In the interim, parties are ORDERED to file 

a joint STATUS REPORT by the 10th day of each month updating this Court on 

the disposition of this case by the JPML.

DONE and ORDERED this the 9th day of November 2015.

/s/ Katherine P. Nelson

KATHERINE P. NELSON

UNITED STATES MAGISTRATE JUDGE

Case 1:15-cv-00509-N Document 10 Filed 11/09/15 Page 2 of 2