Legal Definitions - extraordinary hazard

An extraordinary hazard refers to a danger or risk that is significantly unusual, unexpected, and poses a greater potential for harm than what a reasonable person would typically anticipate in a particular setting. It is a risk that goes beyond the ordinary dangers inherent in a situation, often requiring special precautions or warnings due to its exceptional nature.

• Example 1: A city maintains a public park with a playground. Due to an unprecedented and undetectable geological shift, a section of the ground beneath the swings suddenly opens into a deep sinkhole without any prior warning signs.

  Illustration: While playgrounds might have ordinary hazards like minor falls or splinters, the sudden, unannounced appearance of a large sinkhole is an extraordinary hazard. It is an unusual, unforeseen, and highly dangerous event that far exceeds the typical risks a park visitor would reasonably expect or that the city could foresee and prevent through routine inspections.

• Example 2: A homeowner hires a contractor to perform routine roof repairs. During the work, the contractor accidentally strikes an unmarked, live electrical conduit that was improperly installed years ago and not visible, causing a sudden, severe electrical fire.

  Illustration: While working on a roof carries inherent risks like falls or minor tool accidents, encountering an unmarked, improperly installed live electrical conduit that leads to an unexpected fire is an extraordinary hazard. It's an unusual and severe danger that goes beyond the ordinary, foreseeable risks associated with standard roof repair work.

• Example 3: A large retail store has a display of heavy merchandise. Without any prior indication of structural weakness or improper stacking, a support beam holding the display unexpectedly fractures, causing the entire display to collapse suddenly onto the aisle below.

  Illustration: While a store might have ordinary hazards like items falling from shelves due to customer mishandling or wet floors, the sudden, unprovoked structural failure of a primary support beam causing a massive collapse is an extraordinary hazard. It represents an unusual and severe danger that significantly exceeds the typical risks a shopper would reasonably anticipate in a retail environment.