
CPLR § 1411 - New York Tort Reform for Motor Vehicle Accidents
The Statute Outlining Operation of New York State Tort Reform for Comparative Negligence
Civil Practice Law & Rules Section § 1411Damages recoverable when contributory negligence or assumption of risk is established(a)Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, in any action to recover damages for personal injury, injury to property, or wrongful death, the culpable conduct attributable to the claimant or to the decedent, including contributory negligence or assumption of risk, shall not bar recovery. The amount of damages otherwise recoverable shall be diminished in the proportion which the culpable conduct attributable to the claimant or decedent bears to the culpable conduct which caused the damages.(b)In any action to recover damages for personal injury subject to article fifty-one of the insurance law, the culpable conduct attributable to the claimant shall bar recovery if the culpable conduct attributable to the claimant is greater than the culpable conduct of the person against whom recovery is sought or is greater than the combined culpable conduct of the persons against whom recovery is sought.CPLR § 1411
Again, it is important to note that New York State tort reforms changed the handling of motor vehicle accident cases. While these reforms may limit the rights of accident victims in motor vehicle accident cases, other types of cases, such as boating accidents, cruise ship accidents, Jones act injuries, slip and fall accidents, premises cases, construction site accidents and other types of personal injury are not impacted by CPLR 1411 for now.