Within 20 days after service of the answer to the TP complaint, P may amend the complaint without leave of court to assert the TP D any claim P has against such party. This amendment targets which party?

• A. The third-party defendant
• B. The plaintiff
• C. The original defendant
• D. The court

Answer: (A)

In New York’s third-party practice, the plaintiff can bring in a third-party defendant by amending the main complaint. After the third-party complaint is served and the third-party defendant answers, the plaintiff may amend the original complaint to assert any claim the plaintiff has against that third-party defendant, without court approval, within 20 days. The party this amendment targets is the third-party defendant—the person whom the defendant has brought into the action as potentially liable to the defendant for all or part of the plaintiff’s claim. This keeps related issues in one action and streamlines litigation; after the 20-day window, any further amendment would require leave of court.