Rule 8. General rules of
pleadings.
(a) Claims for relief. An
original claim, counterclaim, cross-claim or third-party claim shall contain a
short and plain: (1) statement of the claim showing that the party is entitled
to relief; and (2) demand for judgment for specified relief. Relief in the
alternative or of several different types may be demanded. A party who claims
damages but does not plead an amount shall plead that their damages are such as
to qualify for a specified tier defined by Rule 26(c)(3). A pleading that
qualifies for tier 1 or tier 2 discovery shall constitute a waiver of any right
to recover damages above the tier limits specified in Rule 26(c)(3), unless the
pleading is amended under Rule 15.
(b) Defenses; form of denials.
A party shall state in simple, short and plain terms any defenses to each claim
asserted and shall admit or deny the statements in the claim. A party without
knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief about the truth of a
statement shall so state, and this has the effect of a denial. Denials shall
fairly meet the substance of the statements denied. A party may deny all of the
statements in a claim by general denial. A party may specify the statement or
part of a statement that is admitted and deny the rest. A party may specify the
statement or part of a statement that is denied and admit the rest.
(c) Affirmative defenses. An
affirmative defense shall contain a short and plain: (1) statement of the affirmative
defense; and (2) a demand for relief. A party shall set forth affirmatively in
a responsive pleading accord and satisfaction, arbitration and award,
assumption of risk, contributory negligence, discharge in bankruptcy, duress, estoppel, failure of consideration, fraud, illegality,
injury by fellow servant, laches, license, payment,
release, res judicata, statute of frauds, statute of
limitations, waiver, and any other matter constituting an avoidance or
affirmative defense. If a party mistakenly designates a defense as a
counterclaim or a counterclaim as a defense, the court, on terms, may treat the
pleadings as if the defense or counterclaim had been properly designated.
(d) Effect of failure to deny.
Statements in a pleading to which a responsive pleading is required, other than
statements of the amount of damage, are admitted if not denied in the
responsive pleading. Statements in a pleading to which no responsive pleading
is required or permitted are deemed denied or avoided.
(e) Consistency. A party may
state a claim or defense alternately or hypothetically, either in one count or
defense or in separate counts or defenses. If statements are made in the
alternative and one of them is sufficient, the pleading is not made
insufficient by the insufficiency of an alternative statement. A party may
state legal and equitable claims or legal and equitable defenses regardless of
consistency.
(f) Construction of pleadings.
All pleadings shall be construed to do substantial justice.