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Mass Tort Survey

    

 

   

Mass Tort
Interlocutory appeal
Survey Results


Alabama

A.R.A.P. R.5. Appeal by permission. Provides conditions under which interlocutory appeals must be certified by trial court for legitimacy.

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Alaska

Alaska R. App. Proc. 210. Record on Appeal. Provides procedures for making interlocutory appeal. Interlocutory orders of trial court may be reviewed in the appellate court by filing a petition for review. Grant of the petition is discretionary.

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Arizona

Interlocutory orders of trial court may be reviewed in appellate court by filing a petition for special action.

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Arkansas

See procedural rules. Record of appeals from certain interlocutory orders must be filed in 30 days (R.A.P. 5). Also note that the certification or denial of a class is immediately appealable in Arkansas, in contrast to the federal system.

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California

California Code of Civil Procedure section 166.1 is used in support of requests for interlocutory appeal in complex cases, but it is not limited to complex cases. It provides as follows:


Upon the written request of any party, or his or her counsel, or at the judges’ discretion, a judge may indicate in any interlocutory order a belief that there is a controlling question of law as to which there are substantial grounds for difference of opinion, appellate resolution of which may materially advance the conclusion of the litigation. 

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Colorado

C.R.S. 13-20-901. Class actions--appellate review. Allows for appellate review of an interlocutory appeal re: class action certification.

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Connecticut

As a general rule, interlocutory orders of the trial court may be reviewed only after final judgment. But see 75 C. 245, appeal from interlocutory rulings.

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Delaware

Interlocutory orders of the trial court may be reviewed in the appellate court by filing a motion for leave of appeal. See S.Ct.R. 42, interlocutory appeals.


Appeals from interlocutory order, judgment or decree of chancery or superior court to supreme court must be filed within 30 days after entry. 10-143.


Pursuant to a monthly rotation, a member of the state supreme court is designated Motion Justice to consider and initially review all motions, interlocutory appeals, certifications of questions of law certificates of reasonable doubt, original writs, requests for advisory opinions, and appeals from the decisions of the Board on Professional Responsibility, Board on the Unauthorized Practice of Law, and Board of Bar Examiners. S.Ct.R. 3, powers of individual justices.

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District of Columbia

See Ford v. Chartone, Inc., 834 A.2d 875 (D.C. App. 2003).


Interlocutory orders of the trial court may be reviewed in the appellate court by filing an application for leave to appeal. Some interlocutory orders are appealable as a matter of right. (28 U.S.C. § 1295)


Appeals also lie, but not as a matter of right, in case of certain interlocutory orders of the U.S. District Court certified to  involve controlling question of law, but petition for permission must be filed within 10 days after entry of order. 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b); F.R.A.P. 5.

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Georgia

Georgia Supreme Court Rule 30. Interlocutory Appeals-Requirements.


Georgia Supreme Court Rule 31. Interlocutory Appeals-Standards for Granting.


Georgia Supreme Court Rule 32. Interlocutory Appeals-Transfers.


Georgia Court of Appeals Rule 30. Interlocutory Applications.


Granted interlocutory applications
are available on the state supreme court website.

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Hawaii

Notice of appeal must specify whether the decision below was final or interlocutory. (See Form 1. Notice of Appeal to the Supreme Court and Intermediate Court of Appeals from a Judgment, Order or Decree of a Circuit/District/Family/Land/Tax Court.)

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Idaho

Idaho App. R. 12 allows for a motion to seek a permissive appeal of an interlocutory order, but this is not unique to mass torts.

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Illinois

Illinois Supreme Court Rule 308.  Interlocutory Appeals by Permission.


Civil Appeals Rule 304. Appeals from Final Judgments that Do Not Dispose of an Entire Proceeding.

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Indiana

Indiana Rule of Appellate Procedure R. 14; see No. Indiana Pub. Service Co. v. Bolka, No. 46A04-9708-CV-344; Cornerwood Healthcare Inc. v. Estate of Herron, No. 82A01-9701-CV-34. 

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Iowa

Interlocutory orders of the trial court may be reviewed in the appellate court by filing a petition for discretionary review, petitions of writ, or motion for leave to appeal. A single-justice order may be reviewed by a three-justice panel upon motion of the party.

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Kansas

Kan. Sup. Ct. Rules 4.01 and 4.02.

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Kentucky

Interlocutory orders of the trial court are not reviewable by appellate court except as specifically allowed by statute, court rule, and caselaw. See KRS 22A.020(2), authorizing supreme court to promulgate rules and giving court of appeals jurisdiction review of interlocutory orders of circuit court.

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Louisiana

Interlocutory orders of the trial court and court of intermediate appeals may be reviewed in the supreme court by filing a petition for writ.

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Maine

See Millett v. Atlantic Richfield Co., 2000 ME 178, 760 A.2d 250. The law court suggested that it would apply the "death knell" exception to the final judgment rule and permit interlocutory appeal of denial of class certification if the denial resulted in the death of the action for named, but not unnamed, plaintiffs. See Millett, 760 A.2d at 256. 

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Maryland

Maryland Courts and Judicial Proceedings Code Ann. § 12-303. Appeals from certain interlocutory orders.

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Massachusetts

Interlocutory review of finding or order of trial court available if court reports that its finding or order so affects merits of controversy that interlocutory determination by appellate court is desirable. (c. 231; § 111; Mass. R.Civ.P,. Rule. 64) Interlocutory review of finding or order by single justice of supreme judicial court similarly available if justice reports that his or her findings or order so affects merits of controversy that matter ought to be determined by full supreme judicial or appeals court. (c. 231, § 112; Mass.R.Civ.P., Rule 64(a)(b)).  Absent interlocutory report by trial court, any party aggrieved by interlocutory order of justice of Housing, Land, Superior, or Probate Courts may file petition within 30 days of order in appeals court seeking relief from order. (c. 231, § 118)

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Michigan

Interlocutory orders of circuit court appealable only upon leave granted by court of appeals. Within time limited for appeal as of right, appellate must file with court of appeals and serve on opposite party application for leave to appeal. Michigan Court Rule 7.205

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Minnesota

Minnesota Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 105 applies to interlocutory appeals generally.

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Mississippi

McGriggs v. Montgomery, 710 So. 2d 886. Litigant may petition for appellate review of a trial court's interlocutory ruling. Miss. R. App. P. 5.

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Missouri

See Missouri Revised Statutes 512.020.

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Montana

Upon appeal from judgment in a civil case, the court may review the verdict or decision and any intermediate order or decision excepted or objected to within the meaning of R. 46 of the Montana Rules of Civil Procedure. Rules of Appellate Procedure R. 2(a).

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Nebraska

Interlocutory orders of the trial court may be reviewed in the supreme court by only one judge (pursuant to statute) rather than the full court.


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Nevada

Interlocutory orders of trial court may be reviewed in the appellate court by filing a petition for writ and by rule.

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New Hampshire

New Hampshire Supreme Court Rule 8. Interlocutory appeal from ruling.


New Hampshire Supreme Court Rule 9. Interlocutory transfer without ruling.


See also Interlocutory Transfer without Ruling Form and Interlocutory Appeal from Ruling
Form.


McGraw v. Exeter Region Coop. Sch. Dist.
(2000) 765 A.2d 710. Interlocutory transfer without ruling.

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New Jersey

NJ Court Rules, 1969 R. 2:5-6.  Appeals From Interlocutory Orders, Decisions and Actions.

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New Mexico

New Mexico Statute Annotated § 39-3-4. Interlocutory order appeals from district court.

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New York

Review by court of appeals is limited (except in special cases) to question of law. C.P.L.R. § 5501(b). For actions originating in supreme (trial) or county court, appeal may be taken to appellate division as of right from any final or interlocutory judgment, except one entered subsequent to order of appellate division itself which disposes of all issues. C.P.L.R. § 5701(a). 

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North Carolina

Very limited.

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North Dakota

There is minimal support for interlocutory appeals; while N.D.R.Civ.P. 54(b) arguably supports interlocutory appeals in cases w/multiple parties, the supreme court has interpreted this rule very narrowly. See Choice Financial Group v. Schellpfeffer, 2005 ND 90.


Interlocutory appeals of class certifications are possible under
N.D.R.Civ.P. 23. A party can petition the supreme ct to supervise an errant trial court under N.D.R.App.P. 21.

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Ohio

None. Only final order may be appealed. 

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Oklahoma

See Rules 1.4-1.6, Oklahoma Supreme Court Rules.

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Oregon

Oregon Rules of Appellate Procedure Rule 10.05. Application for Interlocutory Appeal in Class Action.


Russell v. Sheahan
, 324 Ore. 445. Court affirmed appellate decision to dismiss plaintiff's appeal of the trial court's order denying plaintiff's motion for an order allowing an interlocutory appeal of refusal to certify a class action, holding that the stipulated judgment entered pursuant to the applicable procedural rule was not appealable.

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Pennsylvania

See Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure Rules 311-313.

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Rhode Island

In Rhode Island, a claim that might qualify as a “mass tort” would be subject to avenue(s) of interlocutory appeal applicable to all tort claims.


Appeal from interlocutory order or judgment from superior court ordering sale of property, granting an injunction, ordering or denying a new trial after trial by jury, or appointing a receiver may be taken in like manner as from a final judgment.

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South Carolina

RCP 72. Judgments and orders subject to appeal. The note states that the rule is "designed to reduce appeals from interlocutory or intermediate orders in an action," in accordance with the "modern decisions of the Supreme Court narrowing 'dilatory appeals' from such interlocutory orders as grant or deny motions address to the pleadings, motions at trial, and the like."

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South Dakota

See SDCL 15-26A-3(6).

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Tennessee

Tenn. R. App. P. 9.

Tenn. R. App. P. 10.

Tenn. R. App. P. 11.

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Texas

An order of the judicial panel on multidistrict litigation (MDL Panel) may be reviewed only by the Texas Supreme Court in an original proceeding. Orders of the pretrial court may be reviewed on an expedited basis by an appropriate intermediate appellate court.

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Utah

Under the Utah Rules of Court-Annexed Alternative Dispute Resolution, Rule 101(j): "no interlocutory appeal may be taken from an order granting or denying a motion to refer a civil action pending on January 1, 1995, to the ADR program." 

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Vermont

Normal avenues under appellate rules.

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Virginia

In certain circumstances, it is permitted by statute. See Va. Code Ann. § 8.01-670.1; also, "Final and Interlocutory Appeals in Virginia," 8 Geo. Mason L. Rev. 337 (1999).

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Washington

Same as for other civil cases. An appellate court can accept discretionary review of trial court’s interlocutory decisions pursuant to Rule of Appellate Procedure 2.3.

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Wyoming

Rule of Appellate Procedure 1.05(e), appealable order defined; interlocutory orders and decrees. Also Rule 13.02, when interlocutory review may be granted.

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