Fault & recovery calculator
Take the state and the claimant's own percentage of fault and show what they can still recover: pure comparative (reduced, never barred), modified with a 50 percent bar, modified with a 51 percent bar, or contributory (barred by any fault at all). The difference between Georgia's bar at 50 percent and Texas's bar above 50 percent is worth the entire claim to someone sitting exactly at half, and no competitor tool models it.
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How this works
- Each state's rule was read directly from its statute on 2026-09-23 and is quoted in the sources below.
- Four patterns exist. Pure comparative reduces what you recover and never bars it. A 50 percent bar cuts you off AT half. A 51 percent bar cuts you off only ABOVE half. Contributory negligence, in a small number of states, bars you for any fault at all.
- The difference between the 50 and 51 percent bars sounds pedantic and is not: at exactly half the blame it is the difference between half a claim and nothing.
- Only states we have verified appear. Telling someone they have no claim when they do is the worst error this tool could make, so it says 'not verified' instead of guessing.
Sources
- Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code 33.001: barred if the claimant's percentage of responsibility is GREATER THAN 50 percent (a 51 percent bar). Read 2026-09-23.
- Official Code of Georgia Annotated 51-12-33(g): the plaintiff is not entitled to any damages if 50 PERCENT OR MORE responsible (a 50 percent bar). Read 2026-09-23.
- 735 ILCS 5/2-1116: barred if contributory fault is more than 50 percent (a 51 percent bar). Read 2026-09-23.
- Florida Statutes 768.81: a party greater than 50 percent at fault may not recover; does not apply to medical negligence under chapter 766. Read 2026-09-23.
- Arizona Revised Statutes 12-2505: pure comparative negligence, no bar; damages reduced in proportion to fault, except where the claimant intentionally, wilfully or wantonly caused the injury. Read 2026-09-23.
- Expert review
- My Wreck Check Editorial Team, editorial review: primary sources checked and independently fact-checked (October 26, 2026)
- Last verified
- September 23, 2026
Information only, not legal advice. Each rule is quoted from the statute with the date it was checked. Rules change: Florida moved from pure comparative to a 51 percent bar in 2023.
Common questions
Who decides my percentage of fault?
Initially the insurance adjuster, which is exactly why it is worth questioning. If the claim is litigated a jury decides it. The adjuster's first number is a negotiating position, not a finding.
Is 50 percent really different from 51 percent?
Yes, and it is the single most valuable thing on this page. Georgia bars recovery at 50 percent or more. Texas, Illinois and Florida bar it only above 50 percent. Same facts, same blame, and in Georgia you get nothing while in Texas you get half.
Does this apply to my property damage too?
Comparative fault applies to the damages in the claim generally, but property damage is often handled separately and faster than injury. This tool is about the injury claim.
Related guides
- What a back and neck injury claim is really worthBack and neck injuries are the most common serious harm in a crash and the hardest to value. Here is how the number is actually built, and what moves it.
- How to tell who is at fault in a car accidentHow to tell who is at fault in a car accident: who decides, what evidence counts, and how shared fault changes recovery in Texas and Florida.
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