Matthies v. Positive Safety Manufacturing Co.

¶ 1. On August 22, 1992, David R. Matthies' hand was injured by a punch press. At the time of the accident, joint and several liability was a common-law rule in Wisconsin which permitted a plaintiff to recover his or her damages from any one of two or more persons whose joint or concurring negligent acts caused the plaintiffs injury. Wisconsin Natural Gas Co. v. Ford, Bacon & Davis Constr. Corp., 96 Wis. 2d 314, 330-31, 291 N.W.2d 825 (1980) (quoting Kingston v. Chicago & N.W. Ry. Co., 191 Wis. 610, 613, 211 N.W. 913 (1927)). After Mat-thies' accident, but before he filed this action, the…