Here's proof that damage has to stack based on the games mechanics: the game runs in frames, and for the processing of information, there is no shorter increment than 1 frame. The game cannot determine when a hit is happening, it just detects damage to joints. If there was no system of damage stacking, the damage a joint has taken would be reset to 0 every frame. Most hits start making the joint red atleast 2 or 3 frames before the dismember actually happens, making the damage in those 2 or 3 frames of that one hit stack together in order to achieve a dm.