What is Multidistrict Litigation?
Updated January 24, 2026
A federal procedure that consolidates similar civil lawsuits filed in different federal districts into a single court for coordinated pretrial proceedings such as discovery and motions.
Understanding Multidistrict Litigation
Multidistrict litigation (MDL) is used when numerous lawsuits involving common questions of fact are pending in different federal courts. A panel of judges transfers the cases to one district for efficiency. After pretrial proceedings, cases may be remanded to their original courts for trial or resolved through global settlements. MDLs are common in pharmaceutical, medical device, and product liability cases.
Examples
- 1Thousands of defective hip implant cases consolidated in one federal court
- 2Pharmaceutical injury lawsuits from across the country combined for pretrial discovery
- 3Roundup herbicide cases consolidated into MDL for coordinated proceedings
Related Terms
Class Action
A type of lawsuit in which one or more plaintiffs file and pursue a case on behalf of a larger group of people who have similar claims against the same defendant.
Bellwether Trial
A representative trial selected from a group of similar cases in mass tort or multidistrict litigation that is tried first to help gauge the likely outcomes and settlement values of the remaining cases.
Product Liability
Legal responsibility of manufacturers, distributors, and sellers for injuries caused by defective products. Claims may be based on design defects, manufacturing defects, or inadequate warnings.
Settlement
An agreement between parties to resolve a legal dispute without going to trial. Settlements typically involve the defendant paying the plaintiff an agreed-upon sum in exchange for dropping the lawsuit.
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