Legal Definitions - enormia

Enormia refers to unlawful or wrongful acts, or wrongs. Historically, this term was used in common-law legal documents, particularly in cases of trespass, to broadly describe the harmful or improper actions committed by one party against another. It encompassed not just the primary wrong alleged, but also other related wrongful conduct or damages that contributed to the overall harm.

• Example 1: Property Damage

  Imagine a situation where a contractor, while performing work on a neighboring property, repeatedly drives heavy equipment across your lawn without permission, despite being asked to stop. This action not only constitutes a trespass onto your land but also causes significant damage to your underground sprinkler system, creates deep ruts in the soil, and compacts the ground, inhibiting future plant growth.

  In this scenario, the initial act of driving across your lawn is the direct trespass. The destruction of the sprinkler system, the creation of ruts, and the soil compaction would be considered the enormia—the additional, broader wrongful acts and resulting harms stemming from the contractor's unlawful conduct.

• Example 2: Business Interference

  Consider a competitor who intentionally spreads false and damaging rumors about the safety of your company's flagship product. As a direct result of these untrue statements, several key clients cancel their contracts, and your company's reputation within the industry suffers a significant blow, leading to a substantial loss of revenue.

  Here, the primary wrongful act is the defamation (spreading false rumors). The subsequent loss of clients and the damage to your company's reputation and financial standing are the enormia—the additional, far-reaching wrongful consequences and harms inflicted by the competitor's unlawful actions.

• Example 3: Personal Injury and Related Harm

  Suppose an individual is physically assaulted during an argument. Beyond the immediate physical injuries such as bruises and a broken bone, the victim also experiences severe emotional distress, requires extensive therapy, and is unable to work for several months, leading to a significant loss of income and mounting medical bills.

  The physical assault itself is the direct wrongful act. The resulting emotional distress, the need for therapy, the lost income, and the medical expenses are all examples of enormia—the broader, interconnected wrongful harms and damages that flow from the initial unlawful act.