HB0466 • 2026

Civil Actions - Motor Vehicle Accidents Involving Vulnerable Individuals - Comparative Negligence

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Delegates Embry , Bagnall , Boyce , Fair , Feldmark , Kaufman , Lewis , Moreno , Palakovich Carr , Simmons , Stinnett , and Terrasa
Last action: 2026-03-19
Official status: In the House - Referred to interim study by Judiciary
Effective date: 2026-10-01

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Civil Actions - Motor Vehicle Accidents Involving Vulnerable Individuals - Comparative Negligence

Prohibiting recovery by a certain plaintiff from being barred in a certain civil action due to the plaintiff's negligence, except under certain circumstances; requiring any damages awarded under the Act to be diminished in proportion to the amount of negligence attributed to the plaintiff; and applying the Act prospectively.

What This Bill Does

Prohibiting recovery by a certain plaintiff from being barred in a certain civil action due to the plaintiff's negligence, except under certain circumstances; requiring any damages awarded under the Act to be diminished in proportion to the amount of negligence attributed to the plaintiff; and applying the Act prospectively.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-19 House
Referred to interim study by Judiciary
2026-01-29 House
Hearing 2/11 at 2:00 p.m.
2026-01-23 House
First Reading Judiciary
Maryland General Assembly
Text - First - Civil Actions - Motor Vehicle Accidents Involving Vulnerable Individuals - Comparative Negligence
Maryland General Assembly
Vote - House - Committee - Judiciary

Official Summary Text

Prohibiting recovery by a certain plaintiff from being barred in a certain civil action due to the plaintiff's negligence, except under certain circumstances; requiring any damages awarded under the Act to be diminished in proportion to the amount of negligence attributed to the plaintiff; and applying the Act prospectively.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*hb0466*

HOUSE BILL 466
D3, R5 6lr2616
HB 594/25 – JUD
By: Delegates Embry, Bagnall, Boyce, Fair, Feldmark, Kaufman, Lewis, Moreno,
Palakovich Carr, Simmons, Stinnett, and Terrasa
Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2026
Assigned to: Judiciary

A BILL ENTITLED

AN ACT concerning 1

Civil Actions – Motor Vehicle Accidents Involving Vulnerable Individuals – 2
Comparative Negligence 3

FOR the purpose of prohibiting recovery by a certain plaintiff from being barred in a certain 4
civil action due to the plaintiff’s negligence, except under certain circumstances; 5
requiring any damages awarded under this Act to be diminished in proportion to the 6
amount of negl igence attributed to the plaintiff; and generally relating to 7
comparative negligence and motor vehicle accidents involving vulnerable 8
individuals. 9

BY adding to 10
Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 11
Section 11–302 12
Annotated Code of Maryland 13
(2020 Replacement Volume and 2025 Supplement) 14

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16

Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 17

11–302. 18

(A) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO A CIVIL ACTI ON BROUGHT BY A 19
PLAINTIFF WHO, AT THE TIME OF THE M OTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT GIVING RISE TO 20
THE CAUSE OF ACTION, WAS A VULNERABLE INDIVIDUAL, AS DEFINED IN § 21–901.3 21
OF THE TRANSPORTATION ARTICLE. 22

(B) IN AN ACTION TO RECOVER DAMAGES ARIS ING FROM THE NEGLIGE NT 23
2 HOUSE BILL 466

OPERATION OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, RECOVERY BY THE PLAI NTIFF MAY NOT BE 1
BARRED DUE TO THE PL AINTIFF’S NEGLIGENCE UNLESS THE PLAINTIFF ’S 2
NEGLIGENCE WAS: 3

(1) A PROXIMATE CAUSE OF THE PLAINTIFF’S INJURY; AND 4

(2) GREATER THAN THE COMBI NED NEGLIGENCE OF AL L 5
DEFENDANTS THAT PROXIMATELY CAUSED THE PLAINTIFF’S INJURY. 6

(C) THE DAMAGES AWARDED I N AN ACTION DESCRIBE D IN THIS SECTION 7
SHALL BE DIMINISHED IN PROPORTION TO THE AMOUNT OF NEGLIGENCE 8
ATTRIBUTED TO THE PLAINTIFF. 9

(D) THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION MAY NOT BE CONSTRUED TO AFFECT 10
THE RULE OF JOINT AN D SEVERAL LIABILITY OR THE DOCTRINE OF L AST CLEAR 11
CHANCE. 12

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall be construed to 13
apply only prospectively and may not be applied or interpreted to have any effect on or 14
application to any cause of action arising before the effective date of this Act. 15

SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 16
October 1, 2026. 17