1. Whenever several suits founded alone upon liquidated demands shall be pending in the same court by the same plaintiff, against the same defendant, or whenever several such suits are pending in the same court, by the same plaintiff, against several defendants, the court in which the same shall be prosecuted may, in its discretion, if it appear expedient, order such suits to be consolidated into one action.
2. The court in furtherance of convenience or to avoid prejudice may order a separate trial of any claim, cross-claim, counterclaim, or third-party claim, or of any separate issue or of any number of claims, cross-claims, counterclaims, third-party claims, or issues.