How Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Works for California Claims
When many people file similar cases over the same product, the courts often coordinate them so the shared questions are handled once instead of a thousand times. That coordination is usually called multidistrict litigation, or MDL — and understanding it helps make the process less mysterious.
Coordinating the common questions
In an MDL, similar cases from around the country are transferred to a single court to handle the issues they share — like whether a product was defective and what the company knew. This is far more efficient than litigating those same questions separately in every case.
Your case stays individual
Coordination does not merge everyone into one claim. Your case keeps its own facts — your injury, your treatment, your damages. After the common issues are worked through, individual cases can be resolved on their own terms, whether by settlement or, if needed, returned for trial.
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Frequently asked questions
If my case is in an MDL, do I still have my own claim?
Yes. An MDL coordinates common questions for efficiency, but your case keeps its own facts and value. Your injuries and damages are still decided individually, whether the case resolves by settlement or, if necessary, trial.
Is an MDL the same as a class action?
No. An MDL is a coordination tool for many individual cases; a class action treats the group as one. In an MDL your claim stays your own. We explain how a specific matter is organized in a free review.
California law — what people ask
How long do I have to file an injury claim in California?
Generally two years from the date you were hurt. If a government entity is involved — a city vehicle, a public road, a public hospital — you usually have to present a formal claim to that agency within roughly six months before you can sue at all, which catches people out far more often than the two-year date.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault in California?
Yes. California uses pure comparative negligence, so your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault rather than barred — even if your share turns out to be the larger one. There is no cutoff percentage that ends a claim here.
Does California cap what I can recover?
Not in an ordinary injury case. Medical-malpractice claims are the main exception, where non-economic damages are limited by a cap that steps up over time. For most claims — car crashes, falls, defective products — there is no statutory ceiling.
What if more than one person was responsible?
California splits the analysis: defendants can be jointly responsible for your economic losses such as medical bills and lost income, while non-economic damages like pain and suffering are apportioned to each defendant by its own share of fault.
The driver who hit me had no insurance. What now?
Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage is usually the answer, and it commonly applies to hit-and-run collisions as well. Check every policy in the household, not only the one covering the car you were in.
Will the jury hear that my health insurance paid my bills?
Generally not. California follows the collateral source rule, so a wrongdoer does not get credit for insurance you paid for. How your medical damages are measured is a separate and often contested question.
Injury law in California
California injury law shapes your case in a few specific ways worth knowing early.
- Filing deadline: You generally have two years from the date of the injury to file — and only about six months to put a government entity on notice before you can sue.
- Fault: California follows pure comparative negligence, so you can still recover even if you were partly — or mostly — at fault, with your recovery reduced by your share of the blame.
- Damage caps: An ordinary California injury case has no cap on damages; medical-malpractice claims are the main exception.
- Uninsured drivers: California sets minimum auto-insurance limits and uninsured/underinsured-motorist rules that affect what coverage is available.
Related mass tort topics
California injury law
This is general information about California injury law, not legal advice. Every case is different.
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