Opinion ID: 1221949
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: contribution joint and several liability

Text: Having decided that Coffindaffer is to be applied retroactively, we next address the remaining certified questions relating to contribution among joint tortfeasors and payment of the jury's award. [8] This jurisdiction is committed to the concept of joint and several liability among tortfeasors. Tennant v. Craig, 156 W.Va. 632, 195 S.E.2d 727 (1973); Hutcherson v. Slate, 105 W.Va. 184, 142 S.E. 444 (1928). A plaintiff may elect to sue any or all of those responsible for his injuries and collect his damages from whomever is able to pay, irrespective of their percentage of fault. Our adoption of a modified rule for contributory negligence in Bradley did not change our adherence to joint and several liability: Neither our comparative negligence rule nor Haynes [v. City of Nitro, W.Va., 240 S.E.2d 544 (1977)] is designed to alter our basic law which provides for joint and several liability among joint tortfeasors after judgment. Hardin v. New York Central Railroad, 145 W.Va. 676, 116 S.E.2d 697 (1960); Muldoon v. Kepner, 141 W.Va. 577, 91 S.E.2d 727 (1956). Most courts which have considered the question after either a statutory or judicial adoption of some form of comparative negligence have held that the plaintiff can sue one or more joint tortfeasors, and if more than one is sued and a joint judgment is obtained, he may collect the entire amount from any one of the defendants. See, e.g., American Motorcycle Association v. Superior Court, 20 Cal.3d 578, 588-90, 146 Cal.Rptr. 182, 188-90, 578 P.2d 899, 905-06 (1978); Gazaway v. Nicholson, 190 Ga. 345, 348, 9 S.E.2d 154, 156 (1940); Kelly v. Long Island Lighting Co., 31 N.Y.2d 25, 30, 334 N.Y.S.2d 851, 855, 286 N.E.2d 241, 243 (1972); Seattle First National Bank v. Shoreline Concrete, 91 Wash.2d 230, [234-36] 588 P.2d 1308, 1313-1314 (1978); Chille v. Howell, 34 Wis.2d 491, 498-500, 149 N.W.2d 600, 604-605 (1967); V. Schwartz, Comparative Negligence (1974), § 16.4, at 253. Bradley at 886. It is clear from the foregoing quotation that the concept of joint and several liability after judgment relates primarily to the liability of all of the joint tortfeasors to the plaintiff. We decline here, as we did in Bradley, to alter our rule permitting joint and several liability as against joint tortfeasors after judgment. This concept of joint and several liability after judgment runs throughout other areas of our judgment law. E.g., Newton v. Dailey, W.Va., 280 S.E.2d 91 (1981); W.Va. Code, 55-8-6. [9]