30. If the plaintiff chooses to pursue the claim against the trucker alone, she will be entitled to collect at most

A is correct. The facts indicate that the jury apportioned responsibility and that the statute allows contribution based on proportionate fault between jointly and severally liable tortfeasors in a pure comparative negligence state. Therefore, all this question requires is a little basic math. The plaintiff's damages were for $100,000. She was responsible for $30,000 of her own damages, leaving $70,000 that she could collect from the trucker alone under the joint and several liability statute; the statute makes each co-defendant liable for the entire amount of the award. She would then be unable to collect any other amount from any other defendant. The jury determined that the share of responsibility for the trucker was 30% or $30,000. Under the facts, the state allows contribution by proportionate fault; as a result, the trucker is entitled to contribution from the bus driver in the amount of $40,000.

B is incorrect. As explained above, the plaintiff's damages caused by the trucker and bus driver are $70,000. Under joint and several liability, the plaintiff can collect the full amount from the trucker, who can then sue the bus driver for the bus driver's contribution.

C is incorrect. Under joint and several liability, the plaintiff will be able to recover the full amount from the trucker, who can sue the bus driver for his share through an action for contribution.

D is incorrect. It gives the standard for modified (hybrid) comparative negligence. Pure comparative negligence allows the plaintiff to recover all her damages, minus the percentage attributed to her own negligence.