Contributory Negligence

Learn about the definition for this legal term.

What is Contributory Negligence?

A common law tort rule, abolished in most jurisdictions today. Under contributory negligence, a plaintiff was totally barred from recovery if in any way negligent in causing the accident. Most states now use a comparative negligence approach where a partially negligent plaintiff can still collect based on the percentage of fault of the tortfeasor.

Further Reading

For more detailed information, see our related Torts terms:

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