What is the difference between a class action lawsuit and a multi-district litigation?

Class action lawsuits and multi-district litigation (MDL) are both types of legal proceedings used to resolve multiple similar cases at once. The primary difference between the two is that class action lawsuits are used when multiple people share the same injury or damages from the same incident or party, while MDL involves multiple people who all have the same claim or issue but might sustain different types of damages. In Alaska, a class action lawsuit is usually filed when there are multiple claimants with the same common injury or damages that occurred due to the same incidents or actions of the opposing party. These claimants will then work together to join their case into a single lawsuit. Each claimant who joins the lawsuit is a party to the claim and their attorneys represent the entire group. Multi-district litigation is a type of lawsuit that consolidates multiple lawsuits involving the same defendant and similar claims into one action. For example, if there were multiple claims against the same pharmaceutical company due to a defective drug, the court may combine those claims into an MDL to avoid potentially conflicting decisions or rulings. However, each case must still be proven individually, and the plaintiffs are still responsible for proving their own case. Overall, class action lawsuits are typically used when multiple parties have the exact same injury or damages from the same incident, while MDL is used when multiple parties have the same claim against a defendant but may have different damages.

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What is the difference between a class action lawsuit and a multi-district litigation?

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