Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Reliance is when someone trusts and depends on what another person or company says or does. If the person who relied on the other person's words or actions suffers harm because of it, the person who made the promises or took the actions may be responsible for the damage. This is called promissory estoppel.
Reliance is a legal term that means depending on someone else's words or actions. If someone relies on another person's promises or actions and suffers harm as a result, the person who made the promise or took the action may be held responsible for the harm. This is called promissory estoppel.
John is looking to buy a car. He sees an advertisement for a car that he likes and goes to the dealership to buy it. The salesperson tells John that the car has never been in an accident and is in excellent condition. John relies on the salesperson's statement and buys the car. Later, John discovers that the car was in an accident and has significant damage. John can sue the dealership for damages because he relied on the salesperson's statement and suffered harm as a result.
In this example, John relied on the salesperson's statement that the car had never been in an accident. He suffered harm when he discovered that the car was damaged. The dealership may be held responsible for the harm because John relied on the salesperson's statement.