Claim preclusion

Claim preclusion, also called res judicata, prevents people from getting a second bite at the apple. Once a court issues a final judgment on the merits between two parties, those parties cannot sue each other again on the same claim or on related claims that could have been brought the first time. The point is to give judgments stability and to keep the courts from being clogged with repeat lawsuits. The rule requires the same parties, a final judgment on the merits, and the same claim or one that arises from the same set of facts. It is one of the strongest defenses available when the other side tries to refile.