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Simple English definitions for legal terms
joint tortfeasors
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A quick definition of joint tortfeasors:
Joint tortfeasors are two or more people who together cause harm to someone else because of their carelessness. They can be held responsible for paying all the damages, even if one person was more at fault than the others. For example, if two friends were driving a car and caused an accident, they would be joint tortfeasors and could both be sued for the damages.
A more thorough explanation:
Joint tortfeasors are two or more people who are collectively responsible for causing harm or damages to another person due to their negligence in a single accident or event. They can be held jointly and severally liable for the damages, which means that any of them can be responsible for paying the entire amount, regardless of their individual level of responsibility.
For example, in the case of Cadran v. Fanni, the court found that the driver who caused the accident and the owner of the car that was being driven were joint tortfeasors. This means that both the driver and the owner could be held responsible for paying damages to the other party.
Another example of joint tortfeasors could be two construction workers who are both responsible for a safety violation that leads to an accident on a job site. Both workers could be held jointly and severally liable for any damages or injuries that result from the accident.
Overall, joint tortfeasors are individuals who share responsibility for causing harm or damages to another person, and can be held accountable for paying damages together or individually.