Joint and Several Liability in New Hampshire
State-specific overview · Tort Law
New Hampshire applies joint and several liability fully across all tort cases without comparative fault restrictions.
How New Hampshire treats Joint and Several Liability
New Hampshire maintains traditional joint and several liability, allowing plaintiffs to collect the entire judgment from any single defendant regardless of that defendant's percentage of fault. The rule applies uniformly across negligence, product liability, and other tort actions. Comparative negligence by the plaintiff reduces the total recovery, but does not limit joint and several liability among defendants.
The general definition of Joint and Several Liability
Multiple defendants can each be held fully responsible for the entire judgment, not just their share.
When two or more people or companies are sued together for causing harm, the injured person can collect the full amount from any one of them, rather than having to split the recovery among all defendants. This means if you win a $100,000 judgment against three defendants, you can demand all $100,000 from just one of them, and that defendant can then try to recover their fair share from the others. It protects the injured person by ensuring they get paid even if some defendants can't pay.
Read the full Joint and Several Liability entry →This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. State laws change frequently. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney in New Hampshire.