Legal Definitions - imminently dangerous

Imminently Dangerous

Something is considered "imminently dangerous" when it poses an immediate and severe risk of harm, injury, or damage. This means the danger is not just potential or future, but is likely to occur very soon if no action is taken, and the resulting harm would be significant.

• Example 1: A Collapsing Balcony

  A building inspector discovers that a large, heavily used public balcony on an apartment complex has severe structural cracks and is visibly sagging. The inspector determines that the balcony could collapse at any moment, especially if people are standing on it. This balcony is considered imminently dangerous because its failure is likely to happen very soon, and the collapse would cause severe injury or death to anyone present.

• Example 2: A Defective Industrial Machine

  In a factory, a piece of heavy machinery used for cutting materials begins to malfunction severely. Its safety guards are failing, and the cutting blade is erratically swinging outside its designated operational area, sparking and vibrating violently. Workers nearby are at immediate risk of being struck by the blade or flying debris. This machine is imminently dangerous because its current operational state presents an immediate and high probability of causing serious physical harm to anyone in its vicinity.

• Example 3: A Contaminated Food Product

  A food manufacturer discovers that a batch of its ready-to-eat salads was accidentally contaminated with a highly virulent strain of bacteria during packaging. Consuming even a small portion of these salads would lead to severe illness, hospitalization, or even death within hours or days. Before the product can be recalled, some units have already been shipped to stores. These contaminated salads are deemed imminently dangerous because their consumption would directly and quickly lead to severe health consequences for consumers.