http://wblawgroup.com/class-action-lawsuits-deciding-whether-to-consolidate-or-coordinate/

Often times parties to a lawsuit will find themselves in a place in which several Plaintiffs are suing a particular Defendant for the same reason of action and/or based on the same facts. This usually occurs in a class action lawsuit, although it is possible for this to take place without a class action lawsuit when a class is denied certification. When this happen the parties have the option to either consolidate or coordinate their case. In other words, when a lawsuit is consolidated or coordinated the court will combine the pleadings, judgments, and findings in order to keep the cases more organized and to avoid conflicting judgments. CCP § 1048.