Torts
March22,2016
Prof.Duncan
SelectedStatutesfromthe
TexasCivilPractice&RemediesCode
§33.001.PROPORTIONATERESPONSIBILITY.
Inanactiontowhichthischapterapplies,aclaimantmaynotrecover
damagesifhispercentageofresponsibilityisgreaterthan50percent.
§33.002.APPLICABILITY.
(a)Thischapterappliesto:
(1)anycauseofactionbasedontortinwhicha
defendant,settlingperson,orresponsiblethirdpartyisfound
responsibleforapercentageoftheharmforwhichreliefissought;or
(2)anyactionbroughtundertheDeceptiveTrade
Practices-ConsumerProtectionAct…
§33.003.DETERMINATIONOFPERCENTAGEOFRESPONSIBILITY.
(a)Thetrieroffact,astoeachcauseofaction
asserted,shalldeterminethepercentageofresponsibility,statedin
wholenumbers,forthefollowingpersonswithrespecttoeachperson's
causingorcontributingtocauseinanywaytheharmforwhich
recoveryofdamagesissought,whetherbynegligentactoromission,by
anydefectiveorunreasonablydangerousproduct,by
otherconductoractivitythatviolatesanapplicablelegal
standard,orbyanycombinationofthese:
(1)eachclaimant;
(2)eachdefendant;
(3)eachsettlingperson;and
1
(4)eachresponsiblethirdpartywhohasbeen
designatedunderSection33.004.
…
§33.004.DESIGNATIONOFRESPONSIBLETHIRDPARTY.
(a)Adefendantmayseektodesignateapersonasaresponsible
thirdpartybyfilingamotionforleavetodesignatethatpersonasa
responsiblethirdparty.
…
(k)Anunknownpersondesignatedasaresponsiblethirdparty
underSubsection(j)isdenominatedas"JaneDoe"or"JohnDoe"until
theperson'sidentityisknown.
(l)Afteradequatetimefordiscovery,apartymaymovetostrike
thedesignationofaresponsiblethirdpartyonthegroundthatthereis
noevidencethatthedesignatedpersonisresponsibleforanyportionof
theclaimant'sallegedinjuryordamage.Thecourtshallgrantthe
motiontostrikeunlessadefendantproducessufficientevidenceto
raiseagenuineissueoffactregardingthedesignatedperson's
responsibilityfortheclaimant'sinjuryordamage.
SUBCHAPTERB.CONTRIBUTION
§33.011.DEFINITIONS.
Inthischapter:
(1)"Claimant"meansapersonseekingrecoveryof
damages,includingaplaintiff,counterclaimant,cross-claimant,orthirdpartyplaintiff.Inanactioninwhichapartyseeksrecoveryofdamages
forinjurytoanotherperson,damagetothepropertyofanotherperson,
deathofanotherperson,orotherharmtoanotherperson,"claimant"
includes:
(A)thepersonwhowasinjured,washarmed,ordied
orwhosepropertywasdamaged;and
(B)anypersonwhoisseeking,hassought,orcould
seekrecoveryofdamagesfortheinjury,harm,ordeathofthatperson
2
orforthedamagetothepropertyofthatperson.
(2)"Defendant"includesanypersonfromwhom,atthe
timeofthesubmissionofthecasetothetrieroffact,aclaimantseeks
recoveryofdamages.
(3)"Liabledefendant"meansadefendantagainstwhoma
judgmentcanbeenteredforatleastaportionofthedamagesawarded
totheclaimant.
(4)"Percentageofresponsibility"meansthat
percentage,statedinwholenumbers,attributedbythetrieroffactto
eachclaimant,eachdefendant,eachsettlingperson,oreachresponsible
thirdpartywithrespecttocausingorcontributingtocauseinanyway,
whetherbynegligentactoromission,byanydefectiveorunreasonably
dangerousproduct,byotherconductoractivityviolativeofthe
applicablelegalstandard,orbyanycombinationoftheforegoing,the
personalinjury,propertydamage,death,orotherharmforwhich
recoveryofdamagesissought.
(5)"Settlingperson"meansapersonwhohas,atanytime,
paidorpromisedtopaymoneyoranythingofmonetaryvaluetoa
claimantinconsiderationofpotentialliabilitywithrespecttothe
personalinjury,propertydamage,death,orotherharmforwhich
recoveryofdamagesissought.
(6)"Responsiblethirdparty"meansanypersonwhois
allegedtohavecausedorcontributedtocausinginanywaytheharm
forwhichrecoveryofdamagesissought,whetherbynegligentactor
omission,byanydefectiveorunreasonablydangerousproduct,byother
conductoractivitythatviolatesanapplicablelegalstandard,orbyany
combinationofthese.…
§33.012.AMOUNTOFRECOVERY.
(a)IftheclaimantisnotbarredfromrecoveryunderSection
33.001,thecourtshallreducetheamountofdamagestoberecovered
bytheclaimantwithrespecttoacauseofactionbyapercentageequal
totheclaimant'spercentageofresponsibility.
(b)Iftheclaimanthassettledwithoneormorepersons,thecourt
shallfurtherreducetheamountofdamagestoberecoveredbythe
claimantwithrespecttoacauseofactionbythesumofthedollar
amountsofallsettlements.
3
(c)NotwithstandingSubsection(b),iftheclaimantinahealth
careliabilityclaimfiledunderChapter74hassettledwithoneormore
persons,thecourtshallfurtherreducetheamountofdamagestobe
recoveredbytheclaimantwithrespecttoacauseofactionbyan
amountequaltooneofthefollowing,aselectedbythe
defendant:
(1)thesumofthedollaramountsofallsettlements;
or
(2)apercentageequaltoeachsettlingperson's
percentageofresponsibilityasfoundbythetrieroffact.
…
§33.013.AMOUNTOFLIABILITY.
(a)Exceptasprovidedin
Subsection(b),aliabledefendantisliabletoaclaimantonlyforthe
percentageofthedamagesfoundbythetrieroffactequaltothat
defendant'spercentageofresponsibilitywithrespecttothepersonal
injury,propertydamage,death,orotherharmforwhichthedamages
areallowed.
(b)NotwithstandingSubsection(a),eachliabledefendantis,in
additiontohisliabilityunderSubsection(a),jointlyandseverallyliable
forthedamagesrecoverablebytheclaimantunderSection33.012with
respecttoacauseofactionif:
(1)thepercentageofresponsibilityattributedtothe
defendantwithrespecttoacauseofactionisgreaterthan50percent;
or
(2)thedefendant,withthespecificintenttodoharmto
others,actedinconcertwithanotherpersontoengageintheconduct
describedinthefollowingprovisionsofthePenalCodeandinsodoing
proximatelycausedthedamageslegallyrecoverableby
theclaimant:
(A)Section19.02(murder);
(B)Section19.03(capitalmurder);
(C)Section20.04(aggravatedkidnapping);
(D)Section22.02(aggravatedassault);
(E)Section22.011(sexualassault);
(F)Section22.021(aggravatedsexualassault);
4
(G)Section22.04(injurytoachild,elderly
individual,ordisabledindividual);
(H)Section32.21(forgery);
(I)Section32.43(commercialbribery);
(J)Section32.45(misapplicationoffiduciary
propertyorpropertyoffinancialinstitution);
(K)Section32.46(securingexecutionof
documentbydeception);
(L)Section32.47(fraudulentdestruction,
removal,orconcealmentofwriting);or
(M)conductdescribedinChapter31the
punishmentlevelforwhichisafelonyofthethirddegreeorhigher.
…
(d)Thissectiondoesnotcreateacauseofaction.
(e)Notwithstandinganythingtothecontrarystatedinthe
provisionsofthePenalCodelistedinSubsection(b)(2),thatsubsection
appliesonlyiftheclaimantprovesthedefendantactedorfailedtoact
withspecificintenttodoharm.Adefendantactswithspecificintentto
doharmwithrespecttothenatureofthedefendant'sconductandthe
resultoftheperson'sconductwhenitistheperson'sconsciouseffortor
desiretoengageintheconduct
forthepurposeofdoingsubstantialharmtoothers.
…
§33.015.CONTRIBUTION.
(a)Ifadefendantwhois
jointlyandseverallyliableunderSection33.013paysapercentageof
thedamagesforwhichthedefendantisjointlyandseverallyliable
greaterthanhispercentageofresponsibility,thatdefendanthasaright
ofcontributionfortheoverpaymentagainsteachotherliabledefendant
totheextentthattheotherliabledefendanthasnotpaidthepercentage
ofthedamagesfoundbythetrieroffactequaltothatotherdefendant's
percentageofresponsibility.
(b)Asamongthemselves,eachofthedefendantswhoisjointly
andseverallyliableunderSection33.013isliableforthedamages
recoverablebytheclaimantunderSection33.012inproportiontohis
respectivepercentageofresponsibility.Ifadefendantwhoisjointly
5
andseverallyliablepaysalargerproportionofthosedamagesthanis
requiredbyhispercentageofresponsibility,thatdefendanthasaright
ofcontributionfortheoverpaymentagainsteachotherdefendantwith
whomheisjointlyandseverallyliableunderSection33.013tothe
extentthattheotherdefendanthasnotpaidtheproportionofthose
damagesrequiredbythatotherdefendant'spercentageof
responsibility.
(c)Ifforanyreasonaliabledefendantdoesnotpayorcontribute
theportionofthedamagesrequiredbyhispercentageofresponsibility,
theamountofthedamagesnotpaidorcontributedbythatdefendant
shallbepaidorcontributedbytheremainingdefendantswhoare
jointlyandseverallyliableforthosedamages.Theadditionalamountto
bepaidorcontributedbyeachofthedefendantswhoisjointlyand
severallyliableforthosedamages
shallbeinproportiontohisrespectivepercentageof
responsibility.
…
6