On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus (more commonly known as COVID-19) to be a pandemic. For many Americans, this was their first experience with a disease that had a power to disrupt life on such a global scale. Many of us had watched movies such as Contagion or Outbreak, and thought those we were scary, but unlikely, stories. In the world of commercial and contract law, there is a term of art that is often thrown about but not very often utilized: force majeure.
A force majeure event involves an occurrence which is outside the reasonable control of a party and which prevents a party from performing his, her, or its obligations under an otherwise valid contract.
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