What is Joint and Several Liability?
Joint and several liability in law refers to a responsibility shared by two or more parties to a lawsuit, where a wronged party may sue any or all of them, as well as collect the total damages awarded by a court from any or all of them. It tends to benefit the plaintiff by increasing the chances of collecting all damages awarded, but may be considered unfair to a party bearing minor responsibility. An example of a joint and several liability suit involves workers becoming ill after exposure to harmful materials at multiple job sites.
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