Joint Tortfeasor Release Law and Legal Definition
Release generally refers to a document by which a legal right is discharged. It is an acknowledgment that the person signing it gives up specific rights or claims in exchange for a payment of compensation. It is signed by the plaintiff when the matter/claim is settled with the defendant.
A joint tortfeasor release is a type of settlement and release from further liability that applies to one tortfeasor( a wrongdoer) and not to any other joint tortfeasors. It allows one or more tortfeasors to reach a settlement with the claimant without jeopardizing the claimant's right to seek additional recovery from the non-settling tortfeasors. Some of the other variations of release are special release, subrogation release, open-end release etc.
