Codefendant

A codefendant is not necessarily a co-conspirator in a criminal act, but rather a person or entity who is being sued in the same lawsuit. For example, in a negligence case, two drivers may be named as codefendants, even if only one of them was negligent. The main difference between a codefendant and a co-conspirator is that a codefendant may be liable for the same wrong or offense, while a co-conspirator may be liable for different wrongs.

In some cases, the codefendants may be jointly and severally liable for the same wrongful act or omission. This means that each codefendant is responsible for the entire amount of damages, even if only one of them was at fault. In other words, if one codefendant is unable to pay the damages, the other codefendant is responsible for the entire amount.

Codefendants may also be liable to each other for any costs associated with the lawsuit, such as attorneys’ fees and court costs. If one codefendant is found liable, the other may be responsible for their portion of the costs. In some cases, codefendants may also be responsible for any punitive damages that are awarded to the plaintiff.

The term codefendant is an important one to be aware of when dealing with a lawsuit, as it may have serious implications for the defendants. It is important to understand the relationship between codefendants and the potential consequences of being named as a codefendant in a lawsuit.