Sears, Roebuck & Co. v. International Harvester Co.

Opinion

THOMPSON, J.

In Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804 [119 Cal.Rptr. 858, 532 P.2d 1226, 78 A.L.R.3d 393], the California Supreme Court replaced the doctrine of contributory negligence, incorporated in the California statutes since the Field Code, with the principle of “pure” comparative negligence. (13 Cal.3d at pp. 814, 827.) In American Motorcycle Assn. v. Superior Court (1978) 20 Cal.3d 578 [146 Cal.Rptr. 182, 578 P.2d 899], the California high court explicated the application of the Li principle to the multi-party situation retaining the rule of joint liability of concurrent…