What is a multi-district class action lawsuit?

A multi-district class action lawsuit, also known as an MDL, is a type of class action lawsuit which involves numerous plaintiffs from multiple districts or jurisdictions. In an MDL class action lawsuit, the court consolidates the cases centralizing pre-trial proceedings and discovery. This type of multi-district litigation is commonly used when large numbers of people have similar claims, such as in a product liability case, and it streamlines the process by allowing multiple cases to be handled simultaneously. In Hawaii, MDLs are used in class action lawsuits, such as claims for medical malpractice, consumer fraud, product liability, and negligence cases. For example, a class action may arise when a large group of people in Hawaii are affected by the same product defect and a court is asked to decide the outcome of the case on behalf of all of the plaintiffs. In this situation, an MDL would be filed and the class action lawsuit would be consolidated in one court. This allows the plaintiffs in the case to have a stronger legal voice and be able to leverage collective bargaining power. Multi-district litigation is an effective way to streamline a class action lawsuit and allow multiple plaintiffs with similar claims to pursue justice in an equitable manner. Using an MDL in Hawaii helps the court system operate more efficiently, while allowing the plaintiffs in the class action to have equal access to legal representation.

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What is a multi-district class action lawsuit?

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