What term describes the principle that damages awarded are based on the proportion of each party's liability?

The principle that damages awarded are based on the proportion of each party's liability is known as proportionate responsibility. This legal concept is utilized in many jurisdictions to allocate fault among multiple parties involved in a tort case, thereby determining how much each party is responsible for damages. Under this principle, if one party is found to be more at fault than another, their share of the damages will reflect that comparative level of responsibility.

Proportionate responsibility can lead to fairer outcomes by ensuring that a plaintiff can recover damages that are commensurate to the degree of fault assigned to each defendant in a case. This approach contrasts with concepts such as joint liability, which would impose full liability on one party irrespective of their actual contribution to the fault, or sole responsibility, which would assign all liability to one party without regard for the actions of others. Comparative negligence is a related concept but generally focuses on the plaintiff's share of fault in contributing to their own injuries rather than directly addressing how damages are allocated among multiple defendants.