What does contributory negligence mean in personal injury?

A rule that bars a claimant from any recovery if they bore any responsibility for their own injury. Only four US states and the District of Columbia still apply pure contributory negligence: Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and DC. Most jurisdictions have moved to comparative-fault rules.

Where does contributory negligence apply?

Contributory negligence applies in: AL · MD · NC · VA · DC. See the country pages for jurisdictional detail.

Is this legal advice?

No. This page describes the term as it appears in published authority and practitioner usage. For advice on your specific case, consult a solicitor or attorney qualified in your jurisdiction.

Contributory negligence — Personal Injury Glossary

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What does contributory negligence mean in personal injury?
A rule that bars a claimant from any recovery if they bore any responsibility for their own injury. Only four US states and the District of Columbia still apply pure contributory negligence: Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and DC. Most jurisdictions have moved to comparative-fault rules.
Where does contributory negligence apply?
Contributory negligence applies in: AL · MD · NC · VA · DC. See the country pages for jurisdictional detail.
Is this legal advice?
No. This page describes the term as it appears in published authority and practitioner usage. For advice on your specific case, consult a solicitor or attorney qualified in your jurisdiction.

★ editorial note

This entry describes the term as it appears in published authority and practitioner usage. Nothing on this page is legal advice. For your specific case, consult a solicitor or attorney qualified in your jurisdiction. See /methodology for how we derive figures elsewhere on the site, /sources for the standing authority list, and /disclaimer for the scope statement.

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Contributory negligence

What it means in practice.