Legal Definitions - damnous

Damnous describes something that causes or is likely to cause significant harm, injury, or financial loss. It refers to an act, condition, or provision that is detrimental to a person, property, or interest.

• Example 1: A commercial lease agreement contained a clause stating that if the tenant failed to renew their insurance policy by a specific date, they would be liable for all damages to the property, regardless of fault. The tenant inadvertently missed the renewal deadline, and a pipe burst, causing extensive water damage.

  Explanation: In this scenario, the clause in the lease agreement proved to be damnous because it directly led to significant financial loss for the tenant, holding them responsible for damages they might not otherwise have been liable for, simply due to a missed administrative deadline.

• Example 2: A city council approved a new zoning ordinance that permitted heavy industrial development adjacent to a long-established residential neighborhood. Residents immediately noticed increased noise, air pollution, and a significant drop in their property values.

  Explanation: The new zoning ordinance was a damnous decision because it directly resulted in tangible harm and financial loss (decreased property values, reduced quality of life) for the residents living nearby.

• Example 3: A software company released a new operating system update that, unbeknownst to them, contained a critical bug. When users installed the update, it corrupted their hard drives, leading to widespread data loss and rendering many devices inoperable.

  Explanation: The faulty software update was a damnous product because it caused extensive damage to users' property (their computers) and resulted in the loss of valuable data, leading to repair costs and potential legal claims against the company.