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Efficiency, Fairness, And Common Sense: The Case For One Action As To Percentage Of Fault In Comparative Negligence Jurisdictions That Have Abolished Or Modified Joint And Several Liability, John S. Hickman

Vanderbilt Law Review

Plaintiffs are the masters of their own actions.' They decide when, where, and whom to sue. Although the law has evolved in ways that limit a plaintiffs procedural choices, plaintiffs enjoy a growing number of situations in which they can recover, and an increase in the number of possible defendants For example, governmental tort liability statutes, while limiting procedural choices, now allow plaintiffs to sue government entities. Modern jurisdictional rules give courts a wider reach and thus enable plaintiffs to reach more defendants in one action. Perhaps most importantly, a plaintiffs own negligence no longer bars recovery in most jurisdictions. …