Legal Definitions - modified-comparative-negligence doctrine

The modified-comparative-negligence doctrine is a legal principle that determines liability for negligence based on the percentage of fault assigned to each party. Under this doctrine, the plaintiff's recovery will be reduced by the percentage of negligence assigned to them, and their recovery will be barred if their percentage of fault is 50% or more.

For example, if a car accident occurs and the plaintiff is found to be 30% at fault for the accident, their recovery will be reduced by 30%. If the plaintiff is found to be 50% or more at fault, they will not be able to recover any damages.

This doctrine is different from the pure-comparative-negligence doctrine, which allows the plaintiff to recover damages even if they are more than 50% at fault.