According to the doctrine of contributory negligence, who assumed responsibility for accidents prior to workers' compensation laws?

The doctrine of contributory negligence places the responsibility for accidents primarily on the worker if it can be demonstrated that their own negligence contributed to the incident. This legal principle emerged in a time before workers' compensation systems were established, where employees often had to prove that their employer was entirely at fault for any injuries sustained during the course of employment.

This principle meant that if a worker was found to have any degree of fault in causing their injury, they could be barred from recovering damages from their employer. Therefore, under contributory negligence, workers bore significant responsibility for their safety and any resulting accidents, which reflects the historical context in which employees were often left to fend for themselves in terms of injury compensation.

In contrast, while employers had some responsibilities for workplace safety even before workers' compensation laws, the ultimate burden of proof for negligence fell on the employee. Insurance companies and the government were not typically involved in direct responsibility for workplace injuries in this context, as the focus was on the relationship between the worker and the employer. Thus, the correct understanding of contributory negligence centers on the worker's assumed responsibility in cases of workplace accidents before the introduction of more protective laws like workers' compensation.