What is the difference between contributory negligence and comparative negligence in ski accidents?

In Kansas, the law distinguishes between contributory negligence and comparative negligence when determining fault in ski accidents. Contributory negligence is when a plaintiff’s own negligence contributed to their injuries, and, if the court finds the plaintiff was more than 50% at fault, they will be barred from recovering any damages from the defendant. This means that if a plaintiff is found to have been even one percent at fault for their own injuries, they will not be compensated. Comparative negligence is when the court looks at the percentage of fault between the plaintiff and defendant in an accident, without completely absolving the plaintiff of legal responsibility for their part. If the plaintiff was under 50 percent at fault, they may still be able to recover damages from the defendant, however, the amount that they are able to recover will be proportionate to the amount of fault associated with the defendant. For example, if a plaintiff was found to be 40 percent at fault for an accident, they would only be able to recover damages amounting to 60 percent of the total amount of damages. Kansas has adopted the rule of modified comparative negligence, in which a plaintiff can only recover damages if they are found to be 50 percent or less at fault for the accident. In summary, contributory negligence bars a plaintiff from recovering any damages if they are found to be even marginally at fault, while comparative negligence allows a plaintiff to still recover damages, however, the amount of damages recovered will be proportionately reduced based on their degree of fault.

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What is the difference between contributory negligence and comparative negligence in ski accidents?

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