joint tortfeasors

joint tortfeasors
two or more persons responsible for a tort. Courts have power to allocate responsibility among the joint tortfeasors, but each is wholly and severally liable to the victim.

Collins dictionary of law. . 2001.


joint tortfeasors
Two or more persons whose collective negligence in a single accident or event causes damages to another person. Joint tortfeasors may be held jointly and severally liable for damages, meaning that any of them can be responsible to pay the entire amount, no matter what proportion of responsibility each has.
Category: Accidents & Injuries
Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits

Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. . 2009.


joint tortfeasors
n. Two or more individuals or entities who contributed jointly to the harm suffered by the plaintiff and who may be held individually or collectively responsible.

Webster's New World Law Dictionary. . 2000.

joint tortfeasors
n.
   two or more persons whose negligence in a single accident or event causes damages to another person. In many cases the joint tortfeasors are jointly and severally liable for the damages, meaning that any of them can be responsible to pay the entire amount, no matter how unequal the negligence of each party was. Example: Harry Hotrod is doing 90 miles an hour along a two-lane road in the early evening, Adele Aimster has stopped her car to study a map with her car sticking out into the lane by six inches. Hotrod swings out a couple of feet to miss Aimster's vehicle, never touches the brake, and hits Victor Victim, driving from the other direction, killing him. While Hotrod is grossly negligent for the high speed and failure to slow down, Aimster is also negligent for her car's slight intrusion into the lane. As a joint tortfeasor she may have to pay all the damages, particularly if Hotrod has no money or insurance. However, comparative negligence rules by statute or case law in most jurisdictions will apportion the liability by percentages of negligence among the tortfeasors (wrongdoers) and the injured parties.

Law dictionary. . 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • joint tortfeasors — Two or more persons who unite in committing a tort, or whose acts concur in contributing to and producing a single indivisible injury upon a third person. 52 Am J1st Torts §§ 110 et seq. Two or more persons jointly or severally liable in tort for …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • joint tortfeasors — several people who jointly caused damage or committed a wrongdoing (Law) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • joint — United; combined; undivided; done by or against two or more unitedly; shared by or between two or more; coupled together in interest or liability. The term is used to express a common property interest enjoyed or a common liability incurred by… …   Black's law dictionary

  • joint — United; combined; undivided; done by or against two or more unitedly; shared by or between two or more; coupled together in interest or liability. The term is used to express a common property interest enjoyed or a common liability incurred by… …   Black's law dictionary

  • joint and several liability — The liability of joint tortfeasors. 52 Am J1st Torts § 110. The liability of the two or more contracting parties on one side under an agreement in such terms as to engage the two or more jointly and each one individually. See joint and several… …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • Joint and several liability — Where two or more persons are liable in respect of the same liability, in most common law legal systems they may either be:* jointly liable, or * severally liable, or * jointly and severally liable.Joint liabilityIf parties have joint liability,… …   Wikipedia

  • joint feasors in pari delicto — See in pari delicto; joint tortfeasors …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • joint negligence — See joint tortfeasors …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • joint tort — See joint tortfeasors …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • independent tortfeasors — Tortfeasors who injured the same person or the same property but who acted without common design or concert of action and in the absence of any circumstance, such as common duty, joint enterprise, or relationship, which would make them joint… …   Ballentine's law dictionary

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