讲座题目：连带责任制度主讲人：郭晓霞课时：2重要知识点：连带责任概念；连带责任适用；连带责任的内、外部关系；连带责任的改革；按份责任。难点：连带责任的适用；连带责任的内外部关系。授课方法：采用多媒体教学，英文课件，中英文双语讲解，理论探讨与案例教学相结合。RuleofJointandSeveralLiability1.DefinitionofJointandSeveralLiabilityJointandseveralliabilityisaformofliabilitythatisusedincivilcaseswheretwoormorepeoplearefoundliablefordamages.Thewinningplaintiffinsuchacasemaycollecttheentirejudgmentfromanyoneoftheparties,orfromanyandallofthepartiesinvariousamountsuntilthejudgmentispaidinfull.Inotherwords,ifanyofthedefendantsdonothaveenoughmoneyorassetstopayanequalshareoftheaward,theotherdefendantsmustmakeupthedifference.Theruleisdesignedtofullycompensatethepartyclaimingdamageswithoutregardtothedegreeofthedefendant’swrongdoing.Italsoshiftstheburdentothedefendanttoeitherfindothercodefendantsorpayallthedamages.2.ApplicationofJointandSeveralLiabilityDefendantsinacivilsuitcanbeheldjointlyandseverallyliableonlyiftheirconcurrentactsbroughtabouttheharmtotheplaintiff.Theactsofthedefendantsdonothavetobesimultaneous:theymustsimplycontributetothesameevent.Generalyspeaking,jointandseveralliabilityarisesinthefollowingsituations:◇First,injointtortcases,wherepersonsactinginconcerttortiouslycauseharmtotheplaintifforiftheactionsoftwoormoreactorslegallycauseindivisibleharm;◇Second,inacontractualsituation,wheretwoormorepersonsareresponsibleforthesameperformenceanddefaultontheirobligations,anondefaultingpartymayholdanyandallpartiesliablefordamagesresultingfromthebreachofperformance.◇Third,ifliabilityarrisesbyoperationoflaw,suchasincasesinvolvingpartnership,agency,productsliabilityetc.3.ContributionandIndemnityTheruleofjointandseveralliabilityholdsthattwoormoredefendantsmaybesubjecttoliabilityforthesameharm.Thisdoesn’tmeanthataplaintifftowhomthedefendantsarejointlyandseverallyliableforasinglejudgementcancollectinfullfromeachdefendant.Rather,theplaintiffcancollectthefullamountonlyonce,eitherallfromanyoneofthedefendantsorinpartfromallofthem.Adefendantwho,undertheruleofjointandseveralliability,paysmorethanafairshareofthetotaldamagesmaybeabletorecoverpartialreimbursementfromotherdefendant(s),whohaspaidlessthanafairshare,underthedoctrineofcontribution.Inafewsituation,oneofcodefendantsmayrecoverfullreimbursementfromanotherjointdefendantunderthedoctrineofindemnity.◇Contributionisthepartialreimbursementofonejointdefendantbyanotherjointdefendant.Thepolicyisdistributingliabilityamongthedefendantsinproportiontofault.Butcontributionisgenerallynotpermittedamongintentionalwrongdoers.◇Indemnityisatypeofrestitutiondesignedtopreventunjustenrichmentwhereonepersonhasdischargedliabilityforwhichanothershouldhavepaid.Thesitutionsinwhichindemnitymaybegrantedincludethecaseswheretheindemniteesonlyderivativelyorvicariouslyliable.Forexample,anemployerisheldliableforthetortsofanemployee,orapersonisheldliableforthetortsofhisagent.4.JointandSeveralLiabilityRuleReformTheapplicationoftheruleofjointandseveralliabilityislimitedtojointtorts,indivisibleliabilityandcontractuallyjointliabilityinthetwocivilcodesofFranceandGermany.,whileinAmericaareformaimingatmodifyingorabolishingoftherulehasbeengoingon.Forty-sixofthefiftyUnitedstateshadaruleofjointandseveralliabilityatonepoint,butthemajorityhave,inresponsetotortreformefforts,limitedorab...
