A defendant may argue that a plaintiff knew and assumed the risk of injury when they used the product. This is particularly relevant in a failure-to-warn case. A defendant could also rebut a plaintiff’s breach-of-warranty claim by arguing that they misused the product. Another common defense is that the plaintiff was partly or wholly at fault for the injuries they sustained. Under Virginia’s contributory negligence doctrine, even the smallest lack of reasonable care on the part of a plaintiff could bar them from recovery. This argument can be a difficult defense for plaintiffs to overcome.