Shirley Raphart was using the crosswalk on a street near her office.The light was red,but Shirley stepped in to the crosswalk anyway because she was texting.Janice Godfrey,who was driving her car in the other direction,had a green light and did not see Shirley because she also was texting.Janice struck and injured Shirley,who was hospitalized.Shirley brought suit against Janice.Which of the following statements is true?

Question

Shirley Raphart was using the crosswalk on a street near her office.The light was red,but Shirley stepped in to the crosswalk anyway because she was texting.Janice Godfrey,who was driving her car in the other direction,had a green light and did not see Shirley because she also was texting.Janice struck and injured Shirley,who was hospitalized.Shirley brought suit against Janice.Which of the following statements is true?​

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Janice has a defense of contributory negligence because Shirley was also at fault for crossing the street against a red light while distracted by texting. Contributory negligence means that if a plaintiff is even slightly negligent, they cannot recover damages from the defendant. Therefore, Janice can use this defense to argue that Shirley's own negligence contributed to her injuries and that she should not be held liable for the full amount of damages.

Shirley Raphart Was Using the Crosswalk on a Street near Her