Both handle mass claims, but a class action merges claimants into one representative case while an MDL keeps each lawsuit individually intact.
People often use “MDL” and “class action” interchangeably, but they are distinct legal mechanisms with important practical differences.
Class action
In a class action, one or a few named plaintiffs represent a large “class” of similarly situated people. The class is treated as a single unit, and a judgment or settlement generally binds every class member who does not opt out.
Individual class members usually have limited control over the litigation and typically share in a common recovery formula.
Multidistrict litigation
In an MDL, each plaintiff keeps their own lawsuit. The cases are grouped only to coordinate pretrial work such as discovery and motions. Damages, where awarded, reflect each plaintiff’s individual circumstances.
This structure is well suited to injuries that vary from person to person — for example, different medical outcomes from the same drug or device — where a one-size-fits-all class recovery would not fit.
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