Opinion ID: 2556570
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Contribution Among Tort-Feasors

Text: Contribution is the right of one who has discharged a common liability to recover from another who is also liable. The right of contribution has been codified under Delaware law in the Uniform Contribution Among Tort-Feasors Law (Uniform Contribution Act). [1] The statutory right of contribution exists among joint tort-feasors. [2] Under the Uniform Contribution Act, a joint tort-feasor is defined as 2 or more persons jointly or severally liable in tort for the same injury to person or property, whether or not judgment has been recovered against all or some of them. [3] The Uniform Contribution Act does not have a specially designated statute of limitations. Therefore, at trial, Harbor Health argued that actions for contribution are governed by the general statute of limitations set forth in title 10, section 8106(a) of the Delaware Code, which provides: [n]o action to recover damages for trespass, no action to regain possession of personal chattels, no action to recover damages for the detention of personal chattels, no action to recover a debt not evidenced by a record or by an instrument under seal, no action based on a detailed statement of the mutual demands in the nature of debit and credit between parties arising out of contractual or fiduciary relations, no action based on a promise, no action based on a statute, and no action to recover damages caused by an injury unaccompanied with force or resulting indirectly from the act of the defendant shall be brought after the expiration of 3 years from the accruing of the cause of such action; subject, however, to the provisions of §§ 8108-8110, 8119 and 8127 of this title. [4] The Superior Court agreed with Harbor Health's argument and held that the applicable statute of limitations for Harbor Health's claim for contribution from Dr. Reddy is three years. Under the Uniform Contribution Act, the right to seek contribution from a joint tort-feasor does not accrue until a joint tort-feasor has by payment discharged the common liability or has paid more than his or her pro rata share thereof. [5] Accordingly, the Superior Court held that Harbor Health's complaint for contribution was timely filed.