California follows a system of comparative negligence, which allows personal injury victims to pursue compensation against the at-fault party even if they share some of the blame. Under these same rules, the amount the plaintiff can recover in a spinal cord injury case is reduced by their percentage of fault. For example, a claimant who is awarded a $2 million award but was assigned 20 percent of the blame would still be eligible to receive $1.6 million in compensation.