MDL vs. Class Action
People often use “class action” as a catch-all for any large lawsuit, but most mass-tort cases involving dangerous drugs or defective medical devices are actually multidistrict litigation (MDL), not class actions. The difference affects how your case is handled and how any compensation is decided.
In an MDL, many individual lawsuits that share common questions are transferred to a single federal judge for coordinated pretrial proceedings. Each plaintiff keeps their own separate case, so any recovery generally reflects that person's specific injuries. In a class action, one or a few representatives sue on behalf of an entire “class” of people, and the outcome typically binds everyone who does not opt out.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and People's Justice is not a law firm. Which structure applies to a given situation depends on the specific facts and the court's decisions — an attorney can explain what applies to you during a free, confidential case review.
The dataset
The Data
| Feature | MDL (Multidistrict Litigation) | Class Action |
|---|---|---|
Your lawsuit | Stays your own individual case | One case represents the whole class |
How compensation is decided | Based on your own injuries and facts | Often allocated by a court-approved formula |
Control over your case | You generally retain more say | The class representatives and court lead |
Common in drug/device mass torts? | Yes — the usual structure | Less common for physical-injury torts |
Opting out | Not applicable (already individual) | Usually possible, to pursue your own suit |
MDL vs. Class Action: What's the Difference in Mass Tort Cases?