COVID 19 Factors and Force Majeure in Contracts
GEORGE MASON AMERICAN INN OF COURT COVID-19 Factors and Force Majeure in Contracts January 19, 2019 Team Members: Michelle West, Esq. Jason Greave, Esq. Amy Bradley, Esq. Jeff Romanick, Esq. Charles de Azagra (Student Member) Chapman Good (Student Member) Kevin Case (Student Member) Force Majeure Clauses in the Time of Covid-19 I. What is Force Majeure? Force majeure is a superior or irresistible force that makes performance of contractual obligations difficult, delayed, or impossible. A force majeure event can potentially absolve one or both parties of some or all performance under their agreement. Force majeure provisions commonly require that the event be an unforeseeable one outside the parties’ control. The Virginia Code only a handful of definitions of force majeure. Virginia’s statute governing cable systems, Va. Code § 15.2-2108.19, defines force majeure as: an event or events reasonably beyond the ability of the cable operator to anticipate and control. "Force majeure" includes, but is not limited to, acts of God, incidences of terrorism, war or riots, labor strikes or civil disturbances, floods, earthquakes, fire, explosions, epidemics, hurricanes, tornadoes, governmental actions and restrictions, work delays caused by waiting for utility providers to service or monitor or provide access to utility poles to which the cable operator's facilities are attached or to be attached or conduits in which the cable operator's facilities are located or to be located, and unavailability of materials or qualified labor to perform the work necessary. Virginia Title 44 governing Military and Emergency Laws defines a “disaster” as including a “communicable disease of public health threat.” Va.
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