North Carolina is one of the few states that still follow the legal doctrine of contributory negligence. Contributory negligence is a defense used by insurance companies to deny payment. The law holds that if an injured party is found to be even 1% at fault, that party is not entitled to make any recovery. Because of this law, it is imperative you speak to an attorney before making any statements to insurance companies.
Contributory negligence is a term used to describe the actions of an injured individual who may have also contributed or caused his/her own injury. For instance, if you are hit by a moped while crossing the street, but you failed to look before crossing, your careless actions will be taken into consideration in a civil court setting. In this situation, your negligence will be reviewed and any compensation that you obtain may be reduced because of your careless actions
