The legal theory of contributory negligence:

is in effect in the majority of states throughout the nation.

allows the negligent plaintiff to recover if he was responsible for less than $50$ percent of his means the defendant and plaintiff must both pay exactly one$-$half of the damages.

means that, even assuming the defendant is negligent, if the plaintiff is even slightly neglige plaintiff recovers nothing.

has been criticized as rewarding a plaintiff for being careless.