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

Class action lawsuits and multi-district litigations (MDLs) are both strategies employed in civil lawsuits to streamline the legal process. While they are very similar in that they both involve groups of plaintiffs with similar claims, there are some key differences. A class action lawsuit is a single lawsuit that is brought forth by a group of people who have all been affected by the same issue and have the same legal claim. The governing body of the class action (typically named class representative or class counsel) will negotiate an agreement on behalf of all the plaintiffs and the defendant in the case. This agreement will then be extended to the entire class of plaintiffs, and any individual members of the class can opt out or choose to reject the agreement. On the other hand, a multi-district litigation (MDL) is another type of mass tort lawsuit. Unlike a class action, an MDL involves multiple lawsuits that have been consolidated into a single case in order to streamline the proceedings. These multiple cases involve similar legal issues and groups of plaintiffs, but each plaintiff is considered an individual case, and the plaintiffs do not act as a class. Each plaintiff may also negotiate their own agreements with the defendant, or they may accept a collective settlement if the court deems it to be necessary. In conclusion, the main difference between a class action lawsuit and an MDL is that in a class action, the plaintiffs are treated as a single entity who are represented by a single governing body, and in an MDL, the plaintiffs are treated as individual entities who are free to pursue their own legal claims and settlement agreements.

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

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