(a) Joinder of Claims. A party asserting a claim to relief as an original claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, or third party claim, may join, either as independent or as alternate claims, as many claims, legal or equitable, as that party has against an opposing party.
Rule 18.Joinder of Claims and Remedies.
Current through February 2024 · Last verified July 8, 2026
In one sentenceRule 18 lets a party stack as many legal or equitable claims as it has against an opposing party into one lawsuit, including claims that once had to wait for another claim to be resolved first, though it does not let injury or property-damage plaintiffs sue an opponent's liability insurer directly unless that insurer is otherwise subject to suit.
Full Text of Rule 18
(b) Joinder of Remedies; Fraudulent Conveyances. Whenever a claim is one heretofore cognizable only after another claim has been prosecuted to a conclusion, the two (2) claims may be joined in a single action; but the court shall grant relief in that action only in accordance with the relative substantive rights of the parties. In particular, a plaintiff may state a claim for money and a claim to have set aside a conveyance fraudulent as to the plaintiff without first having obtained a judgment establishing the claim for money. This rule shall not be applied in actions to recover for personal injury or property damage so as to permit the joinder of a liability or indemnity insurance carrier, unless such carrier is by law or contract liable to the person injured or damaged and is directly subject to suit to enforce such liability.
Amendment History
Rhode Island does not publish a per-rule amendment history inside the compiled rules text reproduced here. The text above is verified current through the source’s own February 2024 printing; for the underlying adopting orders and any later amendments, see the Rhode Island Judiciary’s compiled rules page.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 18 lets a party pile as many claims as it has onto one lawsuit. A plaintiff, a defendant raising a counterclaim, a party asserting a cross-claim, or a third-party plaintiff can join every legal or equitable claim it holds against the opposing party, whether the claims are independent of each other or offered as alternatives.
The rule also covers claims that traditionally could only be brought after another claim was already won. Those can now be joined into a single action, though the court will still award relief based on the parties’ actual substantive rights rather than treating the joinder as changing what anyone is entitled to. For example, a plaintiff can combine a claim for money owed with a claim to set aside a fraudulent conveyance, without first getting a judgment on the money claim.
One limit: in personal injury or property damage cases, this rule cannot be used to bring an opponent’s liability or indemnity insurer into the suit directly, unless that insurer is already liable to the injured person by law or contract and can be sued to enforce that liability on its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a plaintiff bring several unrelated claims against the same defendant in one lawsuit?
Yes. Rule 18 lets a party join as many legal or equitable claims as it has against an opposing party, whether those claims are independent of each other or pled as alternatives, and they do not need to arise from the same transaction.
Can someone sue to undo a fraudulent transfer before winning a judgment on the underlying debt?
Yes. Rule 18(b) allows a plaintiff to combine a claim for money owed with a claim to set aside a conveyance that is fraudulent as to the plaintiff, without first having to win a judgment on the money claim.
Can a plaintiff in an injury case join the defendant's insurance company directly?
Generally no. Rule 18 bars using this joinder rule to bring a liability or indemnity insurer into a personal injury or property damage case, unless that insurer is already liable to the injured person by law or contract and can be sued directly to enforce it.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Rhode Island Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure (R.I. Super. Ct. R. Civ. P. 18). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Rhode Island (R.I. Gen. Laws § 8-6-2). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 8, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: joinder of claimscombining claims in one lawsuitmultiple claims against same defendantfraudulent conveyance claimsuing to set aside a fraudulent transferjoining an insurance company in a lawsuitcan I sue for more than one thing at once