What is a cross-complaint?

A cross-complaint is a legal document that is filed in a civil court in Massachusetts. It is typically used when a person or business is being sued, but believes that the person suing them is actually the one at fault and thus should be held liable. In essence, a cross-complaint is a counter-suit. It is used to file a claim against the person or business that filed the original lawsuit. The goal of filing a cross-complaint is to shift liability away from the defendant by claiming that the plaintiff is actually the one at fault. Cross-complaints must be filed in the same court as the original lawsuit, and they must be based on the same dispute as the original lawsuit. Cross-complaints must also use the same legal theory as the original lawsuit, meaning that if the original suit was based on a tort such as negligence, then the cross-complaint must also be based on negligence. It is important to note that a cross-complaint does not replace the original lawsuit. Rather, it is a separate, independent lawsuit filed by the defendant against the plaintiff. The court will decide both the original lawsuit and the cross-complaint, and both parties will have an opportunity to make their case.

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What is a cross-complaint?

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