Joint and Several Liability in Pennsylvania
State-specific overview · Tort Law
Pennsylvania applies joint and several liability to all defendants without comparative fault restrictions or thresholds.
How Pennsylvania treats Joint and Several Liability
Pennsylvania courts maintain traditional joint and several liability, allowing plaintiffs to recover full damages from any defendant in the case. A defendant's percentage of fault does not limit exposure to the entire judgment amount. Pennsylvania has not enacted statutory caps or thresholds that would restrict joint and several liability based on comparative negligence. This approach gives plaintiffs maximum flexibility in collecting damages from solvent 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 Pennsylvania.