Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Aggregation of Jurisdictional Amount: When someone wants to sue another person or company, they need to make sure the amount of money they are asking for is enough to meet the court's requirement. This requirement is currently $75,000. If someone has multiple claims against the same person, they can add up the money they are asking for to meet the requirement. But if they have different reasons for each claim, they can't add them together. If two or more people have the same problem with the same person or company, they can add up their claims to meet the requirement.
Aggregation of jurisdictional amount refers to the practice of combining multiple claims to meet the minimum amount required to file a lawsuit in a particular court. The current amount in controversy requirement is $75,000.
For example, if a person has two claims against the same party, they can combine the amount of both claims to meet the jurisdictional amount. However, if a person has alternative theories of recovery for the same claim, they cannot use them to increase the amount in controversy. For instance, if a person's car was damaged in an accident, they cannot claim both failure to stop at a stop sign and texting while driving to increase the amount of compensation they can receive. The maximum amount they can receive is the value of their car.
Aggregation between the claims of two or more separate people is allowed when the controversy concerns a common and undivided interest. For example, if two people jointly own a property and have a dispute over it, they can combine their claims to meet the jurisdictional amount.
These examples illustrate how aggregation of jurisdictional amount works and the exceptions that apply to it. It is important to note that this practice is generally not permitted, and parties should consult with a lawyer to determine the best course of action.