Opinion ID: 2533289
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: MDL Refund

Text: ¶ 12. Lee complains that the trial court incorrectly relied on three pretrial orders entered by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, MDL 1203 Pre-Trial Orders 467, 517, and 2152, in granting summary judgment to the plaintiffs on the issue of the MDL fee refund. Lee alleges that these pretrial orders are inapplicable because no mechanism exists to transfer a case from a Mississippi state court to a federal MDL court and because the Circuit Court of Holmes County did not enter an order as required by the language of Pre-Trial Order No. 467. ¶ 13. In his opinion, the trial judge pointed out that Pre-Trial Order No. 467 states that all state court actions are eligible for state-federal coordination under the orders, provided that the state court orders such coordination. The trial court reviewed the orders and the agreement entered into between Lee and the PMC of MDL 1203, and concluded that the pretrial orders were applicable in the present matter. Because the trial court was of the opinion that the orders were applicable, it held that the MDL Refund was to be administered on a pro rata basis and granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs on this issue.