An example of a contingent liability that a company should record is possible product warranty costs. This refers to the potential expense a company may incur if they need to repair or replace a product that is covered under warranty. Another example is the threat of a lawsuit by a competitor.
Contingencies. Contingent contracts, like contingencies themselves, cannot occur unless a certain condition is met. For instance, the sale of a home cannot take place without a prior home inspection, and an aircraft cannot leave the hangar without a thorough walk-around inspection by the pilot.
The most common contingency is the home inspection contingency. This condition on an offer states the home sale will only be finalized if the property passes a professional home inspection. In other words, buyers can walk away from a home sale if the home inspection turns up serious problems.