Expert Analysis

Pierringer settlements should not become windfalls for non-settling defendants

By Kristian Bonn ( September 16, 2026, 2:49 PM EDT) -- Partial settlements are intended to narrow litigation, reduce risk and encourage resolution. But when one defendant settles under a Pierringer agreement and the plaintiff later succeeds at trial against a non-settling defendant, a second dispute can arise: how much of the pretrial settlement should be credited against the judgment?...