Meaning of Force Majeure Force majeure is a French term meaning "superior force." In legal agreements, it refers to a contract provision that relieves parties from fulfilling their contractual obligations when unforeseen events beyond their control prevent them from doing so.
Exhaustive, of examples of force majeure events. Force majeure events generally can be divided into two basic groups: natural events and political events. These may include earthquakes, floods, fire, plague, Acts of God (as defined in the contract or in applicable law) and other natural disasters.
For the avoidance of doubt, Force Majeure shall not include (a) financial distress nor the inability of either party to make a profit or avoid a financial loss, (b) changes in market prices or conditions, or (c) a party's financial inability to perform its obligations hereunder.
In contract law, force majeure (/ˌfɔːrs məˈʒɜːr/ FORSS mə-ZHUR; French: fɔʁs maʒœʁ) is a common clause in contracts which essentially frees both parties from liability or obligation when an extraordinary event or circumstance beyond the control of the parties, such as a war, strike, riot, crime, epidemic, or sudden ...
Templates. “Force Majeure: Neither party shall be liable for any failure or delay in the performance of any obligations under this Agreement, except for the obligation to make payments, if such failure or delay is caused by a Force Majeure event.
(1) Neither Party shall be in breach of its obligations under this Agreement (other than payment obligations) or incur any liability to the other Party for any losses or damages of any nature whatsoever incurred or suffered by that other (otherwise than under any express indemnity in this Agreement) if and to the ...
Examples of events that might trigger a force majeure clause into effect include a declaration of war, a disease epidemic, or a hurricane, earthquake, or other natural disaster events that fall under the legal term, “act of God.”
Commonly referred to as “acts of God”, force majeure events are unforeseeable, exceptional or out with the control of contracting parties. Examples include natural disaster, terrorism, industrial strike action, fire and pandemic/epidemic events such as Covid-19.
A clearly articulated force majeure clause can protect partnerships by preventing disputes over who is at fault when unpredictable events occur. By addressing risks proactively in the contract, both parties can move forward cooperatively once normal conditions resume.
Force majeure clauses typically identify such events as excusable delays, allowing the contractor a time extension. However, these clauses are typically silent as to responsibility for delay costs and additional direct costs that result from the force majeure event.