Contributory negligence

Defined in 6 dictionaries — Case Law, Cyclopedic (1922), Ballentine's (1916), Bouvier (1914), Black's (1910), Black's (1891)

Definitions from Case Law

From 346 U.S. 406 - Pope & Talbot, Inc. v. Hawn · 1953Most cited · 2,890 citing opinions

The harsh rule of the common law under which contributory negligence wholly barred an injured person from recovery is completely incompatible with modern admiralty policy and practice. Exercising its traditional discretion, admiralty has developed and now follows its own fairer and more flexible rule which allows such consideration of contributory negligence in mitigation of damages as justice requires.

Show all 6 Supreme Court definitions and how they changed over time 1872–1953

The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary

Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922

Failure of one injured by the negligence of another to use ordinary care, which failure is a concurrent cause with that of such other person in producing the injury.

Ballentine's Law Dictionary

James A. Ballentine · 1916

Negligence of a plaintiff contributing, with the defendant’s negligence, as a cause to the plaintiff’s own injury. See 59 Conn. 261, 21 Am. St. Rep. 104.

Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia

John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914

See Nbsugencb.

Black's Law Dictionary

Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

Contributory negligence, when set up as a defense to an action for injuries alleged to have been caused by the defendant's negligence, means any want of ordinary care on the part of the person injured, (or on the part of another whose negligence is imputable to him,) which combined and concurred with the defendant's negligence, and contributed to the injury as a proximate cause thereof, and as an element without which the injury would not have occurred. Railroad Co., v. Young, 153 Ind. 163, 54 N E. 791; Deli v. Glass Co., 169 Pa. 549, 32 Atl. 6Ol; Barton v. Railroad Co., 52 Mo. 253, 14 Am. Rep. 418; Plant Inv. Co v. Cook, 74 Fed. 503, 20 C. C. A. 625; McLaughlin v. Electric Light Co... 100 Ky. 173, 37 S. W. 851, 34 L. R. A. 812; Riley v. Railway Co.., 27 W. Va. 164,

Defined under Negligence in Black's Law Dictionary.

A Dictionary of Law

Henry Campbell Black · 1891

Contributory negligence, when set up as a defense to an action for injuries alleged to have been caused by the defendant’s negligence, Means any want of ordinary care on the part of the person injured, (or on the part of another whose negligence is imputable to him,) which combined and concurred with the defendant’s negligence, and contributed to the injury as a proximate cause thereof, and as an element without which the injury would not have occurred,