Data literacy
How to Read MDL Case Counts Without Getting Misled
What pending and historical action counts mean, what they leave out, and how to compare monthly federal MDL reports.
Use original documents, keep every number attached to a date and scope, and never confuse a prediction with a confirmed legal event.
Pending actions are a snapshot
The JPML's monthly report shows actions currently pending in each active federal MDL as of the report date. The number can rise as cases are filed or transferred and fall as actions are terminated, dismissed, resolved, or otherwise leave the pending count.
A one-month increase is not proof that claims are succeeding. A decrease is not proof that every removed case received a payment.
Historical actions are not current claimants
The historical total reflects actions that have appeared in the federal MDL over time. It should not be described as the current number of plaintiffs or people eligible for compensation.
State-court cases, unfiled claims, census registrants, and administrative claimants may not appear in the federal pending count.
Use dates and original sources
Every case-count claim should include an as-of date. Compare like-for-like JPML reports, and use court orders for procedural events that a statistical table cannot explain.
Put it into practice
Compare the latest federal case counts
Each tracker shows the docket, court, judge, data date, scope, and direct source.
Open the mass tort tracker