What does partial comparative negligence allow?

Partial comparative negligence allows a plaintiff to recover damages that are reduced by their own percentage of fault in the incident. In other words, if a plaintiff is found to be partially at fault for the injury or damage, their recovery will be decreased by that percentage of fault. For instance, if a court determines that the plaintiff is 20% responsible for the accident, they can still recover 80% of the damages awarded, reflecting their reduced level of culpability.

This principle contrasts with systems where a plaintiff must be free of fault to recover or is entirely barred from recovery based on any fault. Such rules would not allow for any compensation if the plaintiff is found even slightly negligent. Therefore, in a system that recognizes partial comparative negligence, the focus is on apportioning responsibility among all parties involved, granting an equitable resolution based on each party's contribution to the incident.