The Prospects for Personal Injury Class Actions in the United States

Key Themes from a Discussion with Experts

Eric Helland, Lloyd Dixon, Jamie Morikawa, Bethany Saunders-Medina, Colson Andrews, Suzanne Antoniou, Elliot Kovnick

Expert InsightsPublished Oct 1, 2026

This work was made possible by the RAND Feinberg Center for Catastrophic Risk Management and Compensation Advisory Board, the RAND Institute for Civil Justice Advisory Board, and gifts from RAND supporters.

The authors summarize key observations and themes from a panel discussion with experts on the future of personal injury class actions in the United States. Drawing on a discussion of major cases and post-Amchem experience, the authors compare class actions with multidistrict litigation and bankruptcy, highlight trade-offs in oversight and global resolution, and identify reforms that could improve fairness and efficiency in aggregate litigation.

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Helland, Eric, Lloyd Dixon, Jamie Morikawa, Bethany Saunders-Medina, Colson Andrews, Suzanne Antoniou, and Elliot Kovnick, The Prospects for Personal Injury Class Actions in the United States: Key Themes from a Discussion with Experts. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2026. https://www.rand.org/pubs/conf_proceedings/CFA4323-1.html.
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