[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.kregerbrodish.com\/blog\/contributory-negligence\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.kregerbrodish.com\/blog\/contributory-negligence\/","headline":"What is Contributory Negligence?","name":"What is Contributory Negligence?","description":"North Carolina auto accident claims can sometimes be more complicated than initially thought \u2014 primarily due to a very strict North Carolina law called \u201ccontributory negligence.\u201d In North Carolina, unlike most other states, contributory negligence completely bars a plaintiff\u2019s claim...","datePublished":"2019-03-06","dateModified":"2026-04-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.kregerbrodish.com\/blog\/author\/ben\/#Person","name":"Ben Brodish","url":"https:\/\/www.kregerbrodish.com\/blog\/author\/ben\/","identifier":38,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f221a297abf6cbe2df0bc8a28b63c07d0af2345f318c21b1e8cc223e420692e1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f221a297abf6cbe2df0bc8a28b63c07d0af2345f318c21b1e8cc223e420692e1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Kreger Brodish LLP","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.kregerbrodish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Kreger-Brodish-LLP-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.kregerbrodish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Kreger-Brodish-LLP-Logo.png","width":417,"height":225}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.kregerbrodish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Pic-for-3-6-19-e1551489603365.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/www.kregerbrodish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Pic-for-3-6-19-e1551489603365.jpeg","height":800,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.kregerbrodish.com\/blog\/contributory-negligence\/","about":["Car Accidents"],"wordCount":233,"articleBody":"North Carolina auto accident claims can sometimes be more complicated than initially thought \u2014 primarily due to a very strict North Carolina law called \u201ccontributory negligence.\u201dIn North Carolina, unlike most other states, contributory negligence completely bars a plaintiff\u2019s claim if the plaintiff was also negligent. Contributory negligence is a very strict rule of law. In North Carolina, if a plaintiff is even 1% at fault, and a defendant is 99% at fault, then the North Carolina rule of contributory negligence states that the plaintiff cannot recover for the plaintiff\u2019s damages. In other words: any negligence by the plaintiff whatsoever, even very minor, completely bars the plaintiff\u2019s ability to recover for their damages.Sadly, this means that a plaintiff who has suffered immense injuries and incurred tens of thousands of dollars of medical bills might still be barred from recovery, should their negligence have contributed at all to their accident. Hiring a Durham personal injury lawyer can help by arguing against the defendant that contributory negligence on the plaintiff\u2019s part does not exist. However, the presence of contributory negligence is ultimately a factual question, and so judges usually leave the question of whether contributory negligence exists to be determined by a jury.If you would like a free evaluation of your injury case, please feel free to contact Kreger Brodish and schedule a free appointment with one of our personal injury attorneys."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.kregerbrodish.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"What is Contributory Negligence?","item":"https:\/\/www.kregerbrodish.com\/blog\/contributory-negligence\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]