Breaking Contracts Over Coronavirus: Can You Argue ‘Act Of God’?
“The coronavirus pandemic has prevented countless people from fulfilling their contracts, from basketball players to babysitters,” writes Andrew Schwartz in The Daily Reporter’s Commentary.
“Could all of these people be sued for breach of contract, or are they excused due to this extraordinary event? What about payments made in advance, such as tickets bought for a concert that has now been canceled or a dorm room leased at a college that is now closed?”
“Wars, floods and other pandemics have undermined innumerable contracts over the years. In response, U.S. courts have established a fairly clear set of legal rules to answer these questions.”
“As a contracts-law professor, I help future lawyers think through how these rules apply in a wide range of situations. Some of these concern what the law says about contracts that are impossible to meet during pandemics.”
