Contributory negligence is a legal defense that can be used in a civil lawsuit to argue that the plaintiff's own actions or behavior contributed to their injury or damages. In other words, if the plaintiff's own negligence or carelessness played a role in causing the harm they suffered, their recovery of damages may be reduced or barred altogether. Contributory negligence is often used as a defense in personal injury cases to shift some or all of the blame for the accident onto the plaintiff.
