Rule 21 Improper Joinder and Nonjoinder of Parties; Severance

If someone is added to a lawsuit who should not be part of it, that mistake does not mean the whole case gets thrown out. The judge can simply remove that person from the case and let the lawsuit continue without them.

A judge can also add someone to a case if that person should have been included from the start. This can happen at any point during the case, as long as it is fair to do so.

Sometimes a case involves multiple claims against different people. A judge can split one claim off from the rest and let it move forward as its own separate lawsuit. This gives the court flexibility to keep things organized and moving forward.