Negligence in Iowa
State-specific overview · Tort Law
Iowa applies pure comparative negligence, allowing recovery regardless of the plaintiff's degree of fault, reduced by their percentage of negligence.
How Iowa treats Negligence
Iowa recognizes negligence as the failure to exercise reasonable care and follows pure comparative negligence under Iowa Code § 668.1. A plaintiff can recover damages even if they bear primary responsibility for their injury, though their award is reduced by their percentage of fault. Iowa courts allow juries to apportion fault among all parties, including multiple defendants and the plaintiff, and a plaintiff's recovery is limited to their proportionate share of the total damages.
The general definition of Negligence
Failure to exercise reasonable care that results in harm to another person.
Negligence is a legal concept in civil law (not criminal) that holds people responsible for careless behavior. To prove negligence, you must show four things: the defendant had a duty to be careful, they breached that duty, their breach caused your injury, and you suffered actual damages. Negligence doesn't require intent to harm—it's about failing to act as a reasonably careful person would in similar circumstances. Victims of negligence can sue for compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Read the full Negligence entry →This page is a plain-English reference and is not legal advice. State laws change frequently. For specific situations consult a licensed attorney in Iowa.