Legal Definitions - negative pregnant

A negative pregnant is a type of denial in a legal response that is so specific or narrowly worded that it implicitly admits the broader truth of the allegation being denied. Instead of a complete and outright rejection of a claim, the denial only challenges a minor detail or qualification, leaving the core substance of the allegation effectively unchallenged and "pregnant" with an admission.

Essentially, it's a denial that, by focusing on a very particular aspect, suggests that everything else about the allegation is true. This can be problematic in legal pleadings because it fails to clearly dispute the main point of contention.

• Example 1: Contract Dispute

  Imagine a lawsuit where a plaintiff alleges: "On September 15th, 2023, the defendant, Stellar Solutions Inc., failed to deliver 1,000 units of specialized circuit boards to the plaintiff as stipulated in the signed purchase agreement."

  The defendant's response states: "Stellar Solutions Inc. denies that it failed to deliver 1,000 units of specialized circuit boards on September 15th, 2023."

  How it illustrates the term: This is a negative pregnant because the denial is extremely specific. It only denies the *exact quantity* (1,000 units) and the *specific date* (September 15th). It does not deny that Stellar Solutions Inc. failed to deliver *any* circuit boards, or that a delivery failure occurred on a *different* date, or for a *different* quantity. By denying only these precise details, the response implies that a delivery failure likely did happen, just not exactly as described, thereby admitting the broader claim of a breach of contract.

• Example 2: Property Damage Claim

  Consider a claim stating: "Mr. Henderson's unattended drone, a DJI Mavic Pro, crashed into Ms. Rodriguez's greenhouse on May 1st, causing $5,000 worth of damage to her rare orchid collection."

  Mr. Henderson responds: "Mr. Henderson denies that his DJI Mavic Pro drone crashed into Ms. Rodriguez's greenhouse on May 1st."

  How it illustrates the term: This denial is a negative pregnant because it only disputes the *specific model* of the drone (DJI Mavic Pro) and the *exact date* (May 1st). It does not deny that *a* drone belonging to Mr. Henderson crashed into Ms. Rodriguez's greenhouse, nor does it deny that damage occurred to her orchid collection. The response leaves open the possibility that a different drone owned by Mr. Henderson caused the damage, or that it happened on a different day, thus implicitly admitting the core allegation of property damage caused by his drone.

• Example 3: Employment Discrimination

  A former employee alleges: "The company terminated Ms. Davies's employment without cause on November 10th, 2022, shortly after she reported instances of gender-based discrimination to human resources."

  The company's response states: "The company denies that it terminated Ms. Davies's employment without cause on November 10th, 2022."

  How it illustrates the term: This is a negative pregnant because the company's denial is limited to the *lack of cause* and the *specific date*. It does not deny that Ms. Davies's employment was terminated, nor does it deny that it occurred *after* she reported discrimination. The response implies that Ms. Davies was indeed terminated, but the company might claim there *was* cause, or that the termination happened on a different date, or both. The core act of termination following the report of discrimination is not fully refuted, making the denial "pregnant" with an admission of the termination itself.