Judges Reject Bid to Consolidate Coverage Suits Filed in Wake of Hurricanes Irma, Matthew and Hermine

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A federal judicial panel rejected an attempt by plaintiffs to create a centralized docket for disputes over insurance-related hurricane filed in the two years since several catastrophic storms struck Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In a June 6 order denying a petition to create an MDL docket for the cases, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation said the claims possessed only “superficial factual commonality” and that each involves a different property, insurers, evidence and alleged damages.

“The very nature of the cases ensures that unique issues concerning each plaintiff’s loss, claim, investigation, and claim …