Washington state follows the doctrine of contributory fault. Under this doctrine, any negligence on your part will not bar you from collecting damages. However, any award of damages will be reduced by the percentage that you are determined to be responsible for the accident. For example, if the court determines that you are ten percent responsible for the accident and the court awards you $100,000, you will receive an amount that is ten percent less. You will ultimately receive $90,000, which is ten percent less than $100,000.