What Is a ''Juridical Link'' ?

Generally, "a plaintiff cannot represent those having causes of action against other defendants against whom the plaintiff has no cause of action and from whose hands he suffered no injury." Cedar Crest Funeral Home, Inc. v. Lashley, 889 S.W.2d 325, 331 (Tex. App.--Dallas 1993, no writ). "This rule applies even if the plaintiffs' injuries are identical to those of the parties they are representing." Id. However, "there are two exceptions to this rule: (1) situations in which all injuries are the result of a conspiracy or concerted scheme among the defendants; (2) instances in which all defendants are juridically related in a manner that suggests a single resolution of the dispute would be expeditious." Id. "A 'juridical link' is a legal relationship among the defendants that permits a single resolution of the dispute which is preferable to a multiplicity of similar actions." Id. at 332. "A juridical relationship is most often found where all defendants are officials of a single state and are charged with enforcing or uniformly acting in accordance with a state statute, rule or practice of state-wide application that is alleged to be unconstitutional." Id. The Lashley court determined there was no juridical link among a number of funeral homes that had arranged for dead bodies to be embalmed as part of a college's instructional program without the knowledge or consent of the decedents' families. Id. at 332.