What are the five defenses against negligence?

The correct answer highlights five important defenses against negligence, which are essential concepts in understanding liability and legal accountability.

Contributory negligence refers to a situation where a plaintiff's own negligence contributed to the harm they suffered. If established, it can reduce or eliminate the defendant's liability. Assumption of risk denotes a scenario where a person voluntarily engages in an activity knowing the potential risks involved, thereby waiving their right to claim for negligence due to those risks.

Intervening cause refers to an event that occurs after the defendant's negligent act, which contributes to the plaintiff's harm. This can absolve the defendant of liability if the intervening cause is deemed unforeseeable or independent of the original negligence. Statute of limitations imposes a time limit on how long a plaintiff has to file a lawsuit, effectively barring claims if they are not made within a certain period.

The mention of “competitive negligence” in the other option does not accurately reflect recognized legal defenses against negligence, nor do the other terms align with established legal principles in tort law.