Currently N.C. is a “Joint and Several” liability state. Simply put this law means that in a lawsuit where the plaintiff has sued multiple defendants and a jury has found for the plaintiff the plaintiff can recover the entire judgment from any one of the defendants. This rule often comes as a shock to defendants especially when the defendant paying the judgment was the least at fault but the only defendant with money. If HB 813 is enacted “Several” liability would become the new law in N.C., Under the “Several” liability doctrine a defendant would only be required to pay the amount he is specifically liable for.