A Texas Third-Party Summons in a Civil Case is a court document served upon a potential defendant in a lawsuit, requiring them to appear in court and answer the claims made against them. The Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (TRIP) allow a plaintiff to name additional parties in a lawsuit if they are believed to have some responsibility or liability for the claim. This additional party is known as a third-party defendant. The Texas Third-Party Summons in a Civil Case allows the plaintiff to serve a summons on the third-party defendant, requiring them to appear in court and defend themselves against the allegations made against them. In Texas, two types of Third-Party Summons are allowed in a Civil Case: Original and Amended. The Original Third-Party Summons is issued by the court, initiating the lawsuit against the third-party defendant. The Amended Third-Party Summons is issued after the plaintiff has amended the complaint, requiring the third-party defendant to answer any new allegations made against them. In both cases, the summons must be served on the third-party defendant in order for them to be properly served.