Joint and Several Liability

Pronunciation: JOYNT and SEV-er-ul ly-uh-BIL-ih-tee

Torts › Damages

Definition

A doctrine holding multiple defendants each liable for the full amount of plaintiff's damages when they act in concert or their conduct combines to cause indivisible harm. The plaintiff can collect the entire judgment from any one defendant, who may then seek contribution from co-defendants. This protects plaintiffs from uncollectible judgments when one defendant is judgment-proof.

Related terms

• Damages — The fourth and final element of negligence, requiring proof that the plaintiff suffered actual harm or loss. Damages…
• Causation — The third element of negligence, requiring proof that the defendant's breach was both the actual cause (cause-in-fact) and…
• Comparative Negligence — A system that apportions fault between plaintiff and defendant. Plaintiff's recovery is reduced by their percentage of fault.…
• Contributory Negligence — A complete defense to negligence if plaintiff's own negligence contributed to their injuries. Under pure contributory negligence, even…

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