0 a judgment in court that a person who has been hurt in an accident was partly responsible for their own injuries because they failed to act in a way that could have prevented the accident or the injuries
1 a situation in which someone has part of the responsibility for their own injuries or loss because they were careless and did not prevent an accident or problem from happening:
His damages were reduced for contributory negligence in failing to wear a seat belt.
It has to be proved that actual injury has been sustained by the complainant before an action for damages can be commenced, and that the plaintiff was free from all contributory negligence.
It resembles the difference between contributory negligence and assumption of risk as defenses in torts. 32.
Finally, in a single sentence, the lawyers mentioned the principle of contributory negligence.
An employer could also perhaps defend himself on the ground of an employee's own contributory negligence.
Furthermore, it was clear that the contributory negligence of the owners of the stock could be raised as a defense.
The most troublesome aspect of negligence law to reconcile with the risk-liability theory is the defense of contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff.
Where contributory negligence is permitted as a defense, any negligence on the part of the plaintiff, of whatever degree, is sufficient to prevent recovery.
A defender of the risk-liability theory, then, would welcome the moves to limit the defense of contributory negligence that have occurred in the last century.
