Multidistrict litigation is a legal procedure in United States federal courts in which lawsuits involving similar issues (common issues of fact) are consolidated in one court (called the MDL court) for the purpose of convenience and efficiency in pretrial matters, such as discovery. These lawsuits are generally returned to their original federal district courts for trial. Claims that are often the subject of multidistrict litigation are product liability claims against pharmaceutical companies, securities fraud cases, and airplane crashes.
In New Hampshire, as in other states, multidistrict litigation (MDL) is a federal legal procedure that consolidates similar federal lawsuits from across the country into one federal district court. This consolidation is for pretrial proceedings to promote efficiency and convenience, particularly in complex cases like product liability, securities fraud, and airplane crashes. The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, a group of federal judges, decides whether cases should be consolidated under MDL and which court will oversee the pretrial activities. After the pretrial process, the cases are typically sent back to their original courts for trial. It's important to note that MDL is a federal mechanism and does not apply to state court proceedings. New Hampshire state courts follow their own rules and procedures for handling complex litigation, which are separate from the federal MDL process.