What is contributory negligence?

Contributory negligence is a legal term used in Tennessee to assess fault for an accident. It means that if a person is even partially responsible for causing an accident, they may not be eligible to receive damages or other compensation as a result of the accident. Under Tennessee law, contributory negligence is defined as when one person involved in an accident knowingly and willingly takes an action, or fails to act, which contributes to the cause of the accident and results in some form of injury or damage to the other person or people involved. For example, if two drivers are involved in a car accident, and one driver was speeding and failed to use their turn signal at an intersection, they may be found to be partially responsible for the accident in which the other driver was later injured. As a result, the at-fault driver may not receive compensation through the legal system due to their contributory negligence. In Tennessee, it is important to know that if someone is found to be partially responsible for an accident, they may still be able to receive damages, however, the amount of damages is typically reduced to an amount that is proportional to the amount of fault found. It is important to contact an attorney if you have been involved in an accident in Tennessee to discuss the legal rights and options available to you.

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