Comparative negligence reduces damages by the degree of what?

• A. Fault
• B. Deductible
• C. Depreciation
• D. Interest

Answer: (A)

Comparative negligence reduces the amount a party can recover based on how much fault that party had in causing the injury or loss. In other words, your recovery is lowered by the percentage of fault attributed to you. If you’re 30% at fault for an incident with $100,000 in damages, you’d typically recover 70% of that amount. In Florida’s modified form, if the plaintiff is more than 50% at fault, recovery is barred; if 50% or less, you still recover, but reduced by your fault percentage. This concept is about fault, not deductible, depreciation, or interest, which are separate ideas (deductibles are what you pay before insurance kicks in, depreciation adjusts value for wear and tear, and interest relates to money earned or owed on judgments).