Comparative Fault Calculator
Calculate net recovery after fault reduction under different comparative fault systems.
Legal Disclaimer
This calculator provides general estimates only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws, regulations, and court procedures vary significantly by jurisdiction. Consult a licensed attorney in your area for advice specific to your situation.
Inputs
Results
Net Recovery
$240,000.00
≈ 6 Teslas
Recovery Percentage
80%
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Total Damages — all economic and non-economic losses before fault reduction.
- Set Plaintiff Fault % — the percentage of responsibility attributed to the injured party.
- Select Fault System: Pure Comparative (any fault reduces recovery), Modified 50% or 51% (barred above that threshold), or Contributory (any fault bars recovery).
- Review Adjusted Recovery — your damages reduced by your percentage of fault.
- Under contributory negligence states (VA, MD, NC, AL, DC), any plaintiff fault bars recovery entirely.
- Work with your attorney to minimize fault attribution through evidence and expert testimony.
How the result changes with Total Damages
| Total Damages | Net Recovery | Recovery Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| $5,000,000.00 | $4,000,000.00 | 80% |
| $17,500,000.00 | $14,000,000.00 | 80% |
| $32,500,000.00 | $26,000,000.00 | 80% |
| $45,000,000.00 | $36,000,000.00 | 80% |
What each input means
- Total Damages
- Total damages before fault reduction.
- Plaintiff Fault %
- Percentage of fault attributed to the plaintiff.
- Fault System (1=Pure, 2=Modified 50%, 3=Modified 51%, 4=Contributory)
- Your state's comparative fault system.
- Number of Defendants
- Number of defendants in the case.
- Primary Defendant Fault %
- Percentage of fault assigned to the primary defendant.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersTotal Damages = 300000, Plaintiff Fault % = 20, Fault System (1=Pure, 2=Modified 50%, 3=Modified 51%, 4=Contributory) = 3, Number of Defendants = 1 = 5 input(s) provided
- Calculate Net RecoveryNet Recovery240000 = $240,000
- Calculate Recovery PercentageRecovery Percentage80 = 80
- Calculate Fault ReductionFault Reduction60000 = $60,000
- Calculate Barred From RecoveryBarred From Recovery0 = 0
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.
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