Comparative Negligence (Noun)
Meaning
(law) negligence allocated between the plaintiff and the defendant with a corresponding reduction in damages paid to the plaintiff.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- The court applied the principle of comparative negligence to reduce the damages awarded to the plaintiff by 20% due to their own contribution to the accident.
- In states that follow the doctrine of comparative negligence, a plaintiff's recovery can be reduced by the percentage of their own fault in causing the injury.
- The defendant argued that the plaintiff was 50% responsible for the accident and therefore should only receive half of the damages, citing the rule of comparative negligence.
- Comparative negligence laws vary from state to state, but generally allow for a reduction in damages proportional to the plaintiff's degree of fault.
- The jury was instructed to consider the concept of comparative negligence when determining the amount of damages to award the plaintiff, taking into account the defendant's allegations of contributory fault.