A reduction in compensation because the injured person contributed to the accident or to the extent of their injury.
Where the injured person failed to take reasonable care for their own safety, for example by speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, or ignoring a warning sign, the compensation is reduced by a percentage reflecting their share of responsibility. The percentage is negotiated on the evidence or decided by a court.
Contributory negligence reduces a claim; it does not defeat it, except in the rare case where the injured person was wholly responsible.