What is Primary Liability? Simple Definition & Meaning

Definition of Primary Liability

Definition: Primary liability is when a party is directly responsible for an obligation. This means that they are the ones who have to fulfill the obligation. Secondary liability is when another party is responsible for the obligation if the primary party fails to fulfill it.

For example, in the Stoneridge v. Scientific Atlanta case, the plaintiff tried to make a third party responsible for an obligation that was actually the responsibility of another party. The Supreme Court ruled against the plaintiff, saying that the third party was not directly responsible for the obligation.

Another example of primary liability could be a person who takes out a loan. They are directly responsible for paying back the loan, and if they fail to do so, they will face consequences such as damage to their credit score or legal action.

Overall, primary liability means that a party is directly responsible for fulfilling an obligation, while secondary liability means that another party is responsible if the primary party fails to fulfill it.

Simple Definition

Primary liability means that someone is directly responsible for something. It's like when you borrow a toy from a friend and you promise to give it back. You are directly responsible for giving the toy back to your friend. If you don't give it back, you have primary liability for not returning the toy. Secondary liability is when someone else is responsible if the person with primary liability doesn't do what they're supposed to do. For example, if you borrowed the toy from your friend and then gave it to your little brother to play with, your little brother would have secondary liability for returning the toy if you didn't do it yourself.

Legal Definitions - Primary Liability

Definition of Primary Liability

Simple Definition