I’m the one drafting the contract; I could elect to omit from my draft any mention of excluded liabilities, but it would be more constructive to try to head off any debate by attempting to address the seller’s concern using my own language, narrowly tailored to avoid the excesses of the traditional exclusion language. To understand the implications of excluding from that baseline certain kinds of damages, you have to understand the doctrinal jargon used. Clauses such as “in no event shall either party be responsible to the other for indirect, special or consequential losses” are commonplace and are often accepted … For a nonbreaching party to be awarded damages for losses caused by breach of a contract, generally those losses must be a reasonably foreseeable consequence of the breach. The definition of consequential damages, also known as "special damages," refers to damages from an indirect result of an event or incident. Yet, many sellers purport to require waivers of consequential damages because they believe consequential damages relate to losses beyond those that the breaching party would have ordinarily and reasonably foreseen or contemplated. It must also not be too specific in order to properly protect … It’s something I wrote about in this February 2010 post and this March 2010 blog post, both […] Its purpose is reducing the possibility of an unreasonable sum of money being paid by the breaching party in the event the contract is breached. The diverse terminology used by legal professionals has only served to exacerbate the uncertainty. Loss of customers due to cancellations or delays. But I suspect that many lawyers and their clients have an uncertain grasp of what such provisions are meant to accomplish. According to the court, this clause was “unhappily drafted” because the supposed examples of damages intended to be excluded by the phrase “indirect or … which is directly even though not immediately connected to the causal event, as opposed to indirect (or “remote”) damage. The failure resulted in a breach of contract. The A201 mutual waiver clause has aggravated a perplexing problem — how to define “consequential damages,” the subject of the waiver. Rather than leave to the courts the issue of power system, cost of capital, cost of purchased or replacement power, or. The jargon used in such exclusion language doesn’t have a clearly established meaning, so is conducive to dispute. To protect against this happening, a company may include a Limitation of Liability clause to the contract. Why does the seller also need to engage in the messy business of excluding certain kinds of liability? Limitation of Liability Clause: At issue in the Westlake case was the contract’s limitation of liability clause. Consequential damages: These are best understood as including all losses sustained by the nonbreaching party that are attributable to any special circumstances of the nonbreaching party that the parties were aware of when they entered into the contract; in other words, consequential damages encompass all contractually recoverable damages that aren’t either direct or incidental damages; also … Contract - An agreement between two or more parties involving a promise made to provide or do something in return for something with a value attached. Australian common law has established that excluding liability for consequential loss must not be too broad. Want High Quality, Transparent, and Affordable Legal Services? And having read Hadley v. Baxendale as law students, we all do have a general understanding of those concepts. It’s by Glenn D. West, a Weil Gotshal partner whose name has cropped up on this blog a few times, and Sara G. Duran, but in the interest of brevity I’ll be referring to it as “Glenn’s article.” It focuses on waivers of consequential damages in the context of M&A, but the analysis applies more broadly. These are actual damages, general damages, and punitive damages. Let’s start with the definition of consequential damages. Consequential damages are also known as special damages, and are damages that are not a direct result of an incident itself, but are instead consequences of that incident. In no event shall either Party be liable to any other Party by way of indemnity or by reason of any breach of contract or of statutory duty or by reason of tort (including negligence or strict liability) or otherwise for any loss of profits, loss of revenue, loss of use, loss of production, loss of contracts or for any incidental, indirect, special or consequential or punitive damages of any other kind or nature … Any buyer would be advised to resist vigorously that sort of overkill. Actual damages are also referred to as "compensatory damages" and are awarded when an individual has sustained injuries or damages caused by the other party. When dealing with direct damages, these are paid to a plaintiff to reimburse the individual for something the defendant was responsible for doing but failed to do. Let’s start by considering what damages a party is entitled to in the absence of any limitation. Share it with your network! UpCounsel accepts only the top 5 percent of lawyers to its site. Something that happens by chance or without intentionAdjective 1 This post confirms my aversion to using doctrinal terms of art in a contract. other property or equipment, loss of profits or revenue, loss of use of. Of course, if the seller wants to double dip—wants both an absolute cap and to exclude consequential damages—we’d have to have a different, and more vigorous, discussion. The type of claim giving rise to th… Just as Glenn’s article considers U.S. and English law, I suspect that my conclusions in this post would apply in any common-law jurisdiction. Loss of Consortium - The loss suffered by an individual after a spouse has been injured or dies due to another person's intentional act or negligence. You can rely on sellers asking for this kind of provision, and buyers routinely accept it. A claim for diminution of value … Given that background, here are my problems with excluding certain kinds of damages: But for me, here’s the clincher, as stated in Glenn’s article: “While sellers have legitimate concerns over their potential liability for breach … , there are other means of addressing those concerns without the use of terms that have such uncertain meanings.”. Glenn’s article in effect endorses this approach: “Instead of waiving ‘consequential’ damages, buyers should seek waivers of ‘remote’ or ‘speculative’ damages.”. Rather the clause had a wider meaning of financial losses caused by guaranteed defects above and beyond the replacement and repair of physical damage. On the other hand, even though there is no universal definition for “consequential damages,” “consequential” or “indirect” damages are commonly thought of as losses or injuries that “do[] not flow directly and immediately from the act of the party, but only from some of … Here’s what Glenn’s article says on that subject: [T]o define “consequential damages” as those losses that are so remote that they were beyond the contemplation of the parties at the time they entered into the contract is to define consequential damages as losses for which the law does not allow recovery in contract, regardless of any provision excluding such damages. tial damages.) In. The additional costs incurred by the plaintiff resulting from the breach of contract will be awarded to the plai… I noticed that the Rocket Lawyer confidentiality agreement that I wrote about in this post yesterday excludes liability for “direct, indirect, special, or consequential damages.” Language excluding damages is a nightmare, because hardly anyone understands what that jargon means. A waiver of consequential damages is one such clause. The first car accident cannot be blamed for directly causing the injuries to those in the second car accident. “Neither Party shall be liable to the other Party for loss of use of any Works, loss of profit, loss of any contract or for any indirect or consequential loss or damage which may be suffered by the other Party in connection with the Contract.” The key thing to remember about consequential loss is that it doesn’t mean what you think it means. While a plaintiff wants an award, a defendant does not because the indirect results of having breached a contract can have a far-reaching impact on the defendant. It seems arbitrary to exclude certain kinds of contractually recoverable damages but not others. The consequential damages are the costs the department store had to pay to hire a new manufacturer to finish what the toy store failed to do. Generally speaking, for you to be awarded any damages for consequential loss, without such a clause in the contract or the ownership of such an insurance policy, the losses must be reasonably seen as the result of the breach of contract. 3d 350, 358 (1977) (consequential damages incurred where defective printing press caused decrease in output). That by itself rules out the prospect of the buyer’s being awarded damages that far outstrip the purchase price. Loss of profits due to an interruption of normal business practices. An Explanation of Consequential Damages. Here’s my boiled-down version of the analysis in Glenn’s article: It’s clear what “consequential damages” don’t do: they don’t compensate a buyer for remote or speculative losses, which shouldn’t even constitute losses. When dealing with direct damages, these are paid to a plaintiff to reimburse the individual for something the defendant was responsible for doing but failed to do. Consequential Damages Injury or harm that does not ensue directly and immediately from the act of a party, but only from some of the results of such act, and that is compensable by a monetary award after a judgment has been rendered in a lawsuit. They are only what a breaching party would ordinarily and reasonably think would happen if it breached the agreement based on what it actually knew would happen to the damaged party and based on what the damaged party told it would happen if there were a breach. The direct damages are the initial costs the department store initially paid to the toy company. So even in the absence of any limitation, contract damages don’t compensate parties for losses that are remote. Each term is, to varying degrees, difficult to define clearly, given that it expresses a vague standard and given the inconsistent guidance provided by the wealth of related litigation in different jurisdictions. When the terms of a contract's "mutual waiver of consequential damages" clause are being negotiated, the parties involved may not appreciate the differences between consequential and direct damages. And even if my draft contains an absolute cap from the start, it would be harmless to exclude remote damages, and there might be some benefit to doing so: it could cut short any discussion I might otherwise be forced to have if the seller is one of the many who don’t understand that a buyer is entitled to only those damages that are foreseeable. However, the cases above illustrate the wide variety of costs that can be considered “consequential damages.” There is no set definition … The definition of consequential damages, also known as "special damages," refers to damages from an indirect result of an event or incident. So that’s the baseline. As a result, even in the absence of a contractual waiver of consequential damages, this standard of reasonableness creates limits on the extent of the non-breaching party’s recovery for losses that the breaching party did not otherwise specifically agree to bear. So a consequential-damages waiver may not waive all lost profits.4) • “Any loss that we, the party at fault, wouldn’t have expected, especially if it’s a big number!” (No, unforesee-able damages … 1. In addition to excluding certain kinds of damages, it limits the buyer’s recovery in any claim to what the buyer paid for those goods. Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of the payments for the Energy or any … The failure resulted in a breach of contract. When the toy store has not delivered the specified number of dolls as agreed, it is a breach of contract. But simply using "consequential" and "direct" to describe damages is to rely on a third party (the court) to interpret your contract for you. Plaintiff - A person who brings criminal proceedings or a civil lawsuit against another person or an entity. When the terms of a contract's "mutual waiver of consequential damages" clause are being negotiated, the parties involved may not appreciate the differences between consequential and direct damages. Consider the contract I mentioned at the top of this post. Hire the top business lawyers and save up to 60% on legal fees. Payment of damages for consequential loss doesn’t necessarily have to happen. A rationale you’ll hear is that they prevent a party from seeking damages that are remote, in other words damages that the parties couldn’t have contemplated while they were doing the deal. Consequential Damages Law and Legal Definition Consequential damages are those that are not a direct result of an act, but a consequence of the initial act. 3 min read. As two recent decisions in the energy sector have illustrated, adopting apparently wide-ranging and legalistic phraseology in such clauses may not have the desired result for the party seeking to limit its exposure. Itek Corp., 46 Ill. App. In an attempt to clarify, subparagraph 15.1.6 of the 2007 A201 (formerly 4.3.10 of the 1997 A201) provides:The “mutual waiver is applicable, without limitation, to all consequential damages due to either party’s termination in accordance with Article 14,” and it is not intended to “preclude an award o… 3243. Except as otherwise agreed herein, the Seller shall not be liable for special, or consequential damages, such as, but not limited to, damage or loss of. Many of those asking that certain kinds of damages be excluded assume incorrectly that otherwise the nonbreaching party would be entitled to recover remote damages. First, a purely legal definition of consequential damage refers to “second degree” damage, i.e. B. Waivers of Consequential Damages. Parties entering into a contract should be aware that they can be held liable for damages caused by breaching the contract. If that doesn’t satisfy the seller—it wants to exclude some recoverable damages—I’d propose that we instead put an absolute cap on damages rather than engage in the arbitrary and uncertain exercise of excluding certain kinds of damages. To recover these damages, [name of … Direct damages flow directly and immediately from the breach of an agreement. Was this document helpful? Some companies have adopted a policy that no contract can be signed unless the company is specifically excused, in writing (and sometimes in ALL CAPS), from this scary-sounding exposure. Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (2020 edition) Download PDF. But many people are unaware of that. contractor to include no-damages-for-delay clauses in its subcontracts as well.23 Indeed, many of the interpretation issues involving consequential damages waivers—discussed below—can be better addressed in a no-damages-for-delay clause. In theory, the definition of consequential damages is not that complicated, but in application, the results become muddled. 3243. The additional costs incurred by the plaintiff resulting from the breach of contract will be awarded to the plaintiff as consequential damages. Lawyers on UpCounsel come from law schools such as Harvard Law and Yale Law and average 14 years of legal experience, including work with or on behalf of companies like Google, Menlo Ventures, and Airbnb. Today, most owner-issued construction contracts require the contractor to waive its consequential damages. The result of consequential damages can include: Along with consequential damages, several other types of damages exist that can be awarded by a court. An example of a breach of contract would be a toy store contracting with a department store to deliver a specified number of dolls by the end of November. Contents Fullest extent permitted Expectation damages wich Examples. Attempts to exclude or limit liability for consequential loss have given rise to considerable litigation, across industries. No Consequential or Punitive Damages. Exclusion of certain damages associated with the cost of doing business such as restocking or transportation. An example of consequential damages would be a driver getting into a car accident because, instead of paying attention to the road, he was focused on another car accident that had just happened across the street. Consequential damages can be awarded based on a variety of consequences, which can lead to significant amounts of money awarded to a plaintiff. Consequential damages go beyond the contract itself and into the actions that arise from the failure to fulfill. That’s what I did, with an article that I mentioned in this July 2008 blog post as my trusty guide: “Reassessing the ‘Consequences’ of Consequential Damage Waivers in Acquisition Agreements,” 63 Business Lawyer 777 (2008). consequential damages]. No Consequential Damages. But you may be surprised if you take a closer look at these provisions. These damages are awarded as a punishment to a defendant who has exhibited bad behavior. Protections include: If you need help with the definition of consequential damages, you can post your legal need on UpCounsel's marketplace. This is just one example of an accepted bit of boilerplate that doesn’t make much sense. • “Lost profits.” (No, lost profits can often be direct, nonconsequential damages. In the forms files of many business attorneys, a ubiquitous boilerplate clause addresses the dreaded “special, indirect, or consequential” damages. That’s something I considered in. It is common for contracts between businesses to contain clauses limiting damages for a breach. When dealing with a breach of contract action, it is important that the damages be identified as either consequential or direct damages. Breaching parties are excluded from paying damages if there is an exclusion clauses in the contract protecting against the loss. The phrase “consequential or special losses, damages or expenses” did not mean those losses coming within the second limb (arising from special circumstances known at the time the contract was entered into). I have in front of me a contract—it’s for the sale of goods—that contains the following provision excluding certain kinds of damages: Neither party will be responsible or held liable for any consequential, special, or incidental losses or damages. Therefore, a clause excluding consequential loss will only exclude what would not be recoverable in any event, because it was not ordinarily foreseeable and there was no knowledge of the special circumstances out of which that loss arose. Consequential Damages [Name of plaintiff] also claims additional amounts for [list claimed. It would just says what the law is [language revised Feb. 16 9:00 a.m. EST in response to comment by Mark Anderson]: Neither party will be liable for breach-of-contract damages that the breaching party could not reasonably have foreseen on entry into this agreement. The clause limits the extent the party can be held responsible for unfortunate events. So here’s what I suggest: I’m proposing to buy some widgets, and it’s likely that the seller will want to limit damages. However, the sec… The party has been charged or accused of a crime or offense. They also serve as a means of deterring others from participating in the same negative behavior. Clauses that forbid consequential damages are extremely commonplace, almost to the extent of becoming considered " boilerplate ." Consequential damages, otherwise known as special damages, are damages that can be proven to have occurred because of the failure of one party to meet a contractual obligation, a breach of contract. Detriment that arises from the interposition of special, unpredictable circumstances. (Click here for a copy.) From a legal standpoint, an enforceable contract is present when it is: expressed by a valid offer and acceptance, has adequate consideration, mutual assent, capacity, and legality. These clauses often say that either one of the parties will not be liable for the consequential damages that result in the event of a breach. What they are not are direct damages — … The terms of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) consider consequential damages injuries resulting from a seller's breach of contract. There has been some confusion within the South African legal profession in relation to the concepts of direct and consequential damages. CACI No. No need to spend hours finding a lawyer, post a job and get custom quotes from experienced lawyers instantly. To be awarded consequential damages in a lawsuit, they must be a foreseeable result of an act. The department store can sue for both consequential and direct damages. The rules limiting all contractual damages to those that are “natural, probably, and reasonably foreseeable” impose a judicially created “rule of reasonableness” that generally limits the extent to which any damages, including consequential damages, may be awarded for breach of contract. The advice so far has presumed to know what would be consequential versus direct damages. [For a follow-up to this post, see this March 2, 2010 blog post.]. Simply put, consequential damages typically are more significant when it comes to the amounts awarded. Nothing in this Agreement is intended to cause either Party to be, and neither Party shall be, liable to the other Party for any lost business, lost profits or revenues from others or other special or consequential damages, all claims for which are hereby irrevocably waived by Customer and Provider. 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