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Simple English definitions for legal terms
joint defendant
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A quick definition of joint defendant:
A joint defendant is someone who is being sued along with one or more other people. If they are found to have worked together to do something wrong, they may be held responsible for the harm caused. However, they will only be responsible for their share of the fault and can ask their fellow defendants to help pay for any damages. Another word for joint defendant is codefendant.
A more thorough explanation:
A joint defendant is a person who is being sued or charged in a legal case along with two or more other defendants. If the joint defendant is found to have conspired with the other defendants to commit a wrongful act, they may be held jointly liable for damages. This means that they would be responsible for paying a portion of the damages based on their degree of fault.
For example, if three people are sued for causing a car accident and it is found that they were all equally responsible, each joint defendant would be responsible for paying one-third of the damages. However, if it is found that one of the joint defendants was more responsible than the others, they may be required to pay a larger portion of the damages.
It is important to note that joint defendants have a right to seek contribution from their fellow defendants. This means that if one joint defendant pays more than their fair share of the damages, they can seek reimbursement from the other defendants.