Northern Utilities Division of K N Energy, Inc. v. Town of Evansville

URBIGKIT, Chief Justice.

This appeal presents tort damage derived claims for contribution, indemnity, and sub-rogation. At issue is the public gas utility’s status as a joint tort-feasor, its extent of potential liability, and whether it made a settlement payment as a volunteer after a consumer’s house was blown up in a natural gas explosion. A parallel but separate issue examines whether an amendment to the complaint under the fictitious name rule substituting a named defendant for a “John Doe” defendant effectively relates back to the date of the original complaint after expiration of the…