A third-party impleader is used when:

A third-party impleader is used when:

• A. The plaintiff sues multiple plaintiffs
• B. The defendant joins another party liable for part or whole
• C. The court appoints a master
• D. The plaintiff seeks punitive damages

Answer: (B)

Impleader lets the defendant bring in a nonparty who may be liable to the defendant for all or part of the plaintiff’s claim. The idea is to shift or share responsibility so the defendant isn’t bearing the whole risk alone; the third-party defendant becomes part of the case and may owe indemnity or contribution if their actions or liability would make them responsible to the plaintiff too. For example, in a product liability situation the defendant can implead the actual manufacturer or supplier if they may plausibly be liable to the defendant for some or all of the plaintiff’s damages. This setup explains why the option describing the defendant joining another party who is liable for part or all of the claim is the correct fit. The other scenarios—having multiple plaintiffs, appointing a master, or seeking punitive damages—do not involve bringing in a liable nonparty to share responsibility.

Impleader lets the defendant bring in a nonparty who may be liable to the defendant for all or part of the plaintiff’s claim. The idea is to shift or share responsibility so the defendant isn’t bearing the whole risk alone; the third-party defendant becomes part of the case and may owe indemnity or contribution if their actions or liability would make them responsible to the plaintiff too. For example, in a product liability situation the defendant can implead the actual manufacturer or supplier if they may plausibly be liable to the defendant for some or all of the plaintiff’s damages. This setup explains why the option describing the defendant joining another party who is liable for part or all of the claim is the correct fit. The other scenarios—having multiple plaintiffs, appointing a master, or seeking punitive damages—do not involve bringing in a liable nonparty to share responsibility.