CenterPoint Energy Asks for MDL to Stay Proposed Class Actions | Texas Lawyer (2024)

What You Need to Know

  • Faced with a series of petitions for class actions because of the massive Hurricane Beryl power outage, CenterPoint is seeking transfer to an MDL pretrial court.
  • CenterPoint seeks stays of action in four Harris County district court cases and anticipates more lawsuits.
  • Two days before the motion to transfer and petition for stays, the state attorney general announced an investigation.

CenterPoint Energy Inc. and its Houston subsidiary approached the Texas Supreme Court this week to request stays on several class action petitions related to hurricane-related power outages.

CenterPoint amassed a large team of law firms, comprising at least 13 attorneys from the Houston offices of Vinson & Elkins, Susman Godfrey, and Shipley Snell Montgomery, for the electric power companies’ motion before the Texas Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation to transfer four lawsuits to a multidistrict litigation pretrial court.

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CenterPoint Energy Asks for MDL to Stay Proposed Class Actions | Texas Lawyer (2024)

FAQs

Can an MDL become a class action? ›

An MDL is a “sort of” class action lawsuit. It is a class action in that the cases are all brought together under one judge for pretrial discovery.

What is a class action lawsuit in Texas? ›

In a class action lawsuit, one person or a few people take legal action on behalf of a larger group of people who have all been injured by the same or a very similar situation. If the defendants are found responsible for causing mass injury, a lawsuit will be filed against them.

What is the average MDL settlement? ›

Victim compensation in an MDL varies wildly. Some average over $1 million per victim, and some are only a few thousand dollars.

What is the longest running MDL? ›

Most MDLs involve a few dozen to a few hundred cases. The notable exception is MDL No. 875, based in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, which is the largest and longest-lasting MDL.

What are the risks of joining a class action lawsuit? ›

Considering joining a class action lawsuit? While it can empower you in seeking justice, be aware of potential drawbacks like legal uncertainties, loss of personal control, lower individual compensation, and the often lengthy legal proceedings.

Is it worth joining a class action lawsuit? ›

And since class action cases may take years, even to obtain a court-approved settlement, “sometimes it's easier to settle an individual case than the entire case,” Feldman says. However, if an eligible member does not plan on filing an independent lawsuit, there's no obvious downside to being a member, he says.

How do you win a class action lawsuit? ›

A Checklist for Defending Class Actions: 20 Best-Practice Tips
  1. Get the facts—all of them. ...
  2. Grasp the legal issues. ...
  3. Know the players. ...
  4. Hire experts. ...
  5. Ensure that outside counsel understand the business. ...
  6. Develop a litigation plan with the end in mind. ...
  7. Define what “victory” means. ...
  8. Get a handle on the damages.

Are class actions allowed in arbitration? ›

So long as a defendant can show a valid agreement to arbitrate and a valid class action waiver, then a putative class action plaintiff will be unable to proceed on a class basis.

What factors determine whether a class action will be certified? ›

examination turns on three factors, including whether a common question of law or fact exists among all the class members, whether the class representatives present claims that are typical of the class, and whether these representatives will adequately represent all members of the class as a whole.

What is the process of MDL settlement? ›

In many MDL settlements, the defendant will agree to set up a settlement fund from which plaintiffs agreeing to the settlement terms can receive money. The offer may contain a set amount of money and the defendant usually requires 95 percent or so of plaintiffs to agree to the agreement before any money is paid out.

Who can object to a class action settlement? ›

If you're a member of the "class", you have the right to be notified of any proposed class action settlement, and you have a right to object to the deal if you think it's unfair or inadequate.

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