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La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 424

This is the official text of La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 424, part of Louisiana’s Code of Civil Procedure — sets the procedural rules for civil lawsuits in Louisiana courts.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Cause of action as a defense

Official statutory text

A person who has a right to enforce an obligation also has a right to use his cause of action as a defense.

Except as otherwise provided herein, a prescribed obligation arising under Louisiana law may be used as a defense if it is incidental to, or connected with, the obligation sought to be enforced by the plaintiff. A prescribed cause of action arising under The Federal Consumer Credit Protection Act may not be used as a defense even if it is incidental to, or connected with, the obligation sought to be enforced by the plaintiff.

However, in connection with the enforcement of a negotiable instrument the defense of redhibition may not be used if it has otherwise prescribed.

Amended by Acts 1976, No. 710, §1; Acts 1977, No. 254, §1.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.