{"jurisdiction": "us-ny", "code": "eptl", "section": "5-4.2", "citation": "EPTL § 5-4.2", "heading": "Trial and burden of proof of contributory negligence", "text": ["§ 5-4.2 Trial and burden of proof of contributory negligence", "On the trial of an action accruing before September first, nineteen hundred seventy-five to recover damages for causing death the contributory negligence of the decedent shall be a defense, to be pleaded and proved by the defendant."], "official_source": "https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/EPT/5-4.2", "from_official_api": true, "plain_english": "In a wrongful-death action accruing **before September 1, 1975**, the decedent’s contributory negligence is a defense, but the **defendant must plead and prove it**. ★", "in_force_on": "2026-05-31", "retrieved": "2026-09-27", "url": "https://elyphived.com/us-ny/eptl/5-4.2", "publisher": "Elyphived LLC"}