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

A class action lawsuit is a legal action taken by a single individual on behalf of a group of people who have been impacted by a similar issue or incident. The individual is called the “class representative” and the group is the “class.” The class representative typically files a lawsuit in court on behalf of the entire group. All members of the class receive compensation when the lawsuit is successful. Multi-district litigation (MDL) is similar to a class action lawsuit in that it is a group of lawsuits involving different plaintiffs but similar facts and underlying issues. The difference is that each case is handled independently, even though they are grouped together. This means that each individual plaintiff is allowed to participate in the lawsuit and his or her case is heard and decided separately. The court reviews the cases in the MDL collectively and may issue rulings on common issues such as legal procedure and evidence. The individual cases are handled separately after the MDL proceedings are concluded. In Kansas, both class action lawsuits and MDLs are handled in the federal court system. MDLs are used for cases involving a large number of separate but related claims. Examples include product defect, pharmaceutical, environmental, and securities litigation. Class action lawsuits are more typically used in consumer protection cases involving issues such as fraud, deceptive sales, false advertising, and breach of contract.

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

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