What type of claim would the owner of a car assert against the plaintiff in a car crash case?

In a car crash case, the owner of the car may assert a countersuit against the plaintiff. A countersuit is a claim made by a defendant in response to the plaintiff's original claim, seeking relief related to the same transaction or occurrence that gave rise to the plaintiff's suit. This type of claim is directly connected to the initial case, allowing the defendant to present their own grievances regarding the incident while the case is still active.

The other options involve different scenarios. A crossclaim typically arises between co-defendants against each other, rather than in response to a plaintiff’s claim. A defensive claim refers to defenses raised by the defendant but does not constitute a separate claim for relief. A third-party claim involves bringing in another party to the case who may be liable to the defending party, usually initiated when the original defendant believes that another party should bear some responsibility for the plaintiff’s claims. In contrast, a countersuit directly addresses allegations made against the defendant by the plaintiff, making it the appropriate assertion in this context.