Main Content

Torts: Basic Fluency in a Fundamental Legal Language *(Revised for Fall '25)

Coleman v. Soccer Ass'n ("The Holdout Contributory Negligence Case")

What is the difference between contributory and comparative negligence? Use the following case to understand the difference--don't  be fooled because both words sound the same. Contributory negligence is one doctrine and comparative negligence another. The first is the old school, and the second is the new school.