Legal Definitions - cross-defendant

Definition: A cross-defendant is the party who is being sued in response to a cross-claim made against them.

Example: If Company A sues Company B for breach of contract, and Company B responds with a cross-claim against Company A for breach of a separate contract, then Company A becomes the cross-defendant in the case.

This means that Company A is now being sued by Company B in addition to their original lawsuit. The cross-claim made by Company B is a separate legal action that is related to the original lawsuit. The cross-defendant, in this case, Company A, must respond to the cross-claim and defend themselves against the allegations made by Company B.