What is the doctrine of collateral estoppel in civil litigation?

The doctrine of collateral estoppel is a legal principle in Texas that prevents a party in a civil litigation case from relitigating an issue already determined in another case. This doctrine is based on the concept of "finality" in that it prevents a party from repeatedly litigating issues that have already been decided. Collateral estoppel applies to two specific situations. First, when a party has already litigated an issue in a previous case and that issue has been determined, the party is barred from relitigating the same issue in a subsequent case. For example, if a person has been found guilty of a crime in a criminal case, she may not later claim innocence in a civil suit. Second, collateral estoppel may apply when a party to a case could have litigated a particular issue in a prior case but chose not to do so. For example, if a person brings a civil suit against a company for breach of contract and the company agrees to compensate the person, the company is barred from asserting any defenses it could have raised in the contract case but chose not to. In sum, the doctrine of collateral estoppel prevents parties from re-litigating issues already settled in a prior case. This doctrine encourages parties to fully litigate their claims in a timely manner in order to avoid unnecessary expense, delay, and confusion.

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What is the doctrine of collateral estoppel in civil litigation?

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