SENATE, No. 1034

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED MAY 2, 1996

By Senator HAINES

An Act concerning joint and several liability and amending P.L.1995, c.140.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. Section 3 of P.L.1995, c.140 is amended to read as follows:

    3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to causes of action [filed] which accrue on or after the effective date of this act.

    2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be retroactive to June 29, 1995.

STATEMENT

    This bill amends the effective date of P.L.1995, c.140, which modified joint and several liability for most negligence and strict liability actions, to provide that the amendments in that law shall apply to causes of action which accrue on or after the law's effective date of June 29, 1995. Currently, the law as enacted applies to causes of action filed on or after that date. This bill provides that lawsuits which accrued before the changes in the law went into effect, but were filed after law's effective date, will not be adversely affected by the distinction between the accrual of a cause of action and the filing of a cause of action.

Changes applicability of joint and several liability provisions.