A New York Third Party Summons in a Civil Action is a legally binding document issued by the court and served to a third party who is not named in the original complaint. This document is used to bring a third party into a civil lawsuit, and may be used to collect evidence, establish liability, or to compel the third party to pay a portion of the damages sought by the plaintiff. There are two types of New York Third Party Summons in a Civil Action: an Order to Show Cause Summons and a Third-Party Complaint Summons. The Order to Show Cause Summons requires the third party to appear in court and explain why they should not be held responsible for the plaintiff’s claims. The Third-Party Complaint Summons requires the third party to answer a complaint that has been filed against them. Both types of Summons must be served on the third party in order to be legally effective.