# Summary Judgment

> A court ruling that there are no genuine factual disputes requiring a trial, allowing the court to decide the case based on the law alone.

**Category:** Legal Procedure
**Canonical URL:** https://drugsmonitor.com/glossary/summary-judgment
**Last updated:** 2026-06-11

Summary judgment is a critical stage in mass tort litigation. Defendants often move for summary judgment on grounds of insufficient evidence of causation, preemption, or statute of limitations bars.

If a court grants summary judgment for the defendant, the plaintiff's case is dismissed without a trial. If the court denies summary judgment, the case proceeds toward trial or settlement negotiations.

Summary judgment rulings in bellwether cases can signal how the court views the scientific evidence and legal theories in the litigation. These rulings often influence settlement values for the entire MDL.

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*Glossary entry from DrugsMonitor.com.*