Class Action Lawsuits and Multidistrict Litigaion

This video brought to you by AskTheLawyers.com™

AskTheLawyers™

Ask A Lawyer

Consult a Class Action Attorney for Legal Advice

When one party injures multiple victims, it makes more sense to consolidate these claims into either a class action lawsuit or multidistrict litigation.

Class action cases are typically regarding consumer law and are when a group of people band together to sue a defendant and split the damages awarded.

In a class action, many victims join together to file a single lawsuit and split the compensation equally.

Multidistrict litigation, or MDL, is a little more complicated. If several victims have filed similar lawsuits, the pre-trial proceedings (discovery) are consolidated and performed at the same time. The lawsuits would then be sent back to the victims’ districts for trial, but all trials would refer to the same set of data discovered during the pre-trial proceedings.

Consult with an attorney to learn more about joining a class action lawsuit or multidistrict litigation. An attorney with prior experience in this type of claim is highly recommended.

Video Transcript:

When a lawsuit is filed, there's generally one plaintiff that will file the lawsuit against a single defendant. This however, can vary.

There are some cases in which there can be multiple plaintiffs and one defendant; or even sometimes, multiple defendants and one plaintiff; and in some cases, there can also be both. In cases where a form of damage was caused by single defendant, or a multitude of defendants, to a sizable amount of people over a widespread area in either related or equal ways, it is not efficient for all affected parties to bring forth their individual claims in a single lawsuit. It is also not practical for several different courts to hear the same claim against the single defendant or the same group of defendants. In these types of situations, one way to handle claims more efficiently is by dividing cases into either class action lawsuits or into multidistrict litigation.

When a class action lawsuit is filed, only a reduced number of representative claimants will file the petition. The petition will then be utilized to allege that they as well as other unnamed plaintiffs have suffered damages by similar means by the direct or indirect actions of the defendants.

Usually, when a class action lawsuit is filed, the restitution the claimants will seek will be the same, or about the same, for every one of the petitioners. Further, when the settlement is approved, this will be binding to all petitioners who have not already chosen to opt out of the case. If a claimant has chosen to opt out of the case, he or she may have the legal right to pursue the case on his or her own.

Multidistrict litigation, also known as MDL, generally will be established when a single or a group of defendants have similarly affected or harmed numerous amounts of people by various means. In these types of cases, claimants will usually have been hurt through unique methods where a class action lawsuit is not suitable. Is it important to note that the multidistrict litigation is exclusive to the United States Federal Courts.

If you or someone you know has been injured by another party, it is vital to seek the advice and support of a qualified attorney to understand what rights you are entitled to. A class action or multidistrict litigation attorney will help you understand if your case needs to be filed as a single event or in the manner of a large group of similar individual cases. Understanding how to file your case is an essential part in recuperating what you lost, as well as receiving compensation for the damages you have sustained.

Disclaimer: This video is for informational purposes only. In some states, this video may be deemed Attorney Advertising. The choice of lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertisements.

Legal Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only. Use of this website does not constitute an attorney-client relationship. Information entered on this website is not confidential. This website has paid attorney advertising. Anyone choosing a lawyer must do their own independent research. By using this website, you agree to our additional Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.