What is defined as comparative negligence?

Comparative negligence is a legal doctrine that allows for the allocation of liability based on the degree of fault of each party involved in an accident or legal dispute. When this principle is applied, the defendant is held liable only to the extent that they contributed to the harm or damages incurred.

For example, if a plaintiff is found to be 30% at fault for an accident, and the defendant is found to be 70% at fault, the defendant would only be responsible for 70% of the damages awarded to the plaintiff. This system recognizes that accidents can involve multiple parties at fault, and therefore provides a more equitable resolution by assigning responsibility in proportion to each party's level of negligence.

In contrast, other options describe scenarios that do not align with how comparative negligence functions, such as full liability without regard for fault or complete exemption from liability, which do not consider the shared responsibility that can exist in many legal situations.