The plaintiff in a product liability lawsuit has suffered $100,000 worth of damages from an automobile accident. A defect in manufacture of the plaintiff's vehicle is found to be 60 percent responsible for the accident, while the plaintiff's own negligence is 40 percent responsible. Under the doctrine of comparative negligence, how much would the defendant-the manufacturer of the vehicle-have to pay the plaintiff in damages?
A) $60,000
B) $40,000
C) $100,000
D) The defendant would not have to pay any amount in damages.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Under comparative negligence, the plaintiff's damages are reduced by their degree of fault. Here, the plaintiff is 40% at fault and the defendant is 60% at fault for the accident. Therefore, the defendant would be responsible for 60% of the total damages of $100,000, which is $60,000.

The Plaintiff in a Product Liability Lawsuit Has Suffered $100,000