Iowa Cross-Claim Against A Co-Defendant is a legal claim by a defendant against another defendant in the same lawsuit. It is often used when two or more defendants are accused of the same wrong doing, or when one defendant believes the other has contributed to the claim against them. Iowa Cross-Claims can be either compulsory or permissive. Compulsory Cross-Claims are claims that must be brought by one defendant against another in the same lawsuit. Permissive Cross-Claims are claims that may be brought by one defendant against another in the same lawsuit, but are not required. In either case, if a Cross-Claim is successful, the defendant who brings it may be able to recover damages from the other defendant.