Legal Guides
Contributory Negligence in Ireland
Contributory negligence is a principle of law whereby an injured party may have contributed to their own injury by acting negligently when confronted with apparent and known circumstances. The extent of the blame for an accident in which you were injured is determined by contributory negligence.
Need Advice? Let's TalkMultiple Party Contributory Negligence
In certain circumstances, one party may be entirely at fault for the accident occurring, for example an employer has shown a disregarded for safety regulations, resulting in a workplace accident. However, it is possible that a combination of circumstances contributed to the accident in question. An accident’s cause is not always obvious and knowing what constitutes contributory negligence is vital in any case.
When multiple party negligence occurs, liability for an accident’s cause is distributed among the culpable parties on a percentage basis, with each party accountable to pay that percentage of the compensation settlement.
How does Contributory Negligence affect my Claim*?
The level of contributory negligence you are responsible for will have an impact on the total amount of personal injury compensation awarded.
Examples of Contributory Negligence that could affect your claim include:
- Failure to wear a seatbelt in a road traffic accident
- Failure to have appropriate room/speed to stop in a “multi-car pile-up” road traffic accident
A personal injury solicitor will be able to determine whether contributory negligence in personal injury claims applies to the personal injury case.