What is the principle of comparative negligence?

The principle of comparative negligence is based on the idea that when multiple parties are involved in an accident or injury, the liability for damages can be divided according to the degree of fault or negligence exhibited by each party. This means that if an injured party is partially responsible for their own injuries, their compensation can be reduced in proportion to their degree of fault.

For example, if a person is found to be 30% responsible for an accident while another party is 70% responsible, the injured party's damages awarded would be reduced by the 30% they were at fault. This principle promotes fairness in legal outcomes by recognizing that both the plaintiff and defendant can contribute to the circumstances leading to an accident.

In contrast, the other choices do not accurately explain this principle. For instance, stating that the injured party is always fully responsible contradicts the concept of shared liability inherent in comparative negligence. Similarly, asserting that only the defendant can be held liable ignores the situation where the injured party might also share some fault, which is essential to the comparative negligence framework. Lastly, the idea that negligence does not apply when no injuries are present does not relate to comparative negligence, as this principle specifically deals with instances where injuries occur but varies based on the parties'