Definition of CROSS-COMPLAINT • Law Dictionary • TheLaw.com

Also called a cross-claim, this is the filing of a legal claim against the original plaintiff, a co-defendant or another party that is not yet a party to the lawsuit and where the underlying facts are the same as the original lawsuit. For example, a plaintiff may sue a driver for causing an accident and the defendant may sue the manufacturer for creating a defect that caused the condition of the defendant’s car to strike the plaintiff’s vehicle.

Related Legal Terms & Definitions

CONTRIBUTORY NEGLIGENCE Where the plaintiff's own negligence in an accident is partially responsible (the proximate cause) of…
COUNTERCLAIM A claim by a defendant against a plaintiff (made after the plaintiff has filed and…
THIRD PARTY ACTION When a third party is brought into an action by a defendant, such as where…
CROSS-ACTION An action brought by the defendant against the another party in the same action that…
THIRD PARTY CLAIM A claim by a defendant in a case against a person or party other than…
CROSS-CLAIM See cross-complaint, when one defendant sues another defendant which is surrounded by the same set…
COMPLAINT (A) Civil Court the first step in starting a lawsuit. The complaint is a written…
STET BELLA If the plaintiff in a plaint in the mayor's court of London has attached property…