Contracts · claim

Elements of Breach Of Warranty

Quick Answer

What are the elements of Breach Of Warranty?

Breach of warranty occurs when a seller or manufacturer fails to uphold the terms of a warranty, causing harm to the buyer. Warranties can be either express (explicitly stated) or implied (automatically granted by law).

Required Elements

1. Existence of a Warranty

There must be a valid warranty that is applicable to the goods or services involved.

What to prove: It must be shown that the warranty existed at the time of sale, whether express or implied.

2. Breach of the Warranty

The defendant's failure to comply with the terms of the warranty.

What to prove: The claimant must demonstrate that the warranty terms were not met or that the product did not conform to the warranty.

3. Causation

The breach must have directly resulted in some form of damage or loss to the claimant.

What to prove: The claimant must show a clear link between the breach and the damages incurred, proving that they would not have suffered these damages but for the breach.

4. Damages

The claimant must have suffered a quantifiable loss due to the breach of warranty.

What to prove: The claimant must provide evidence of the specific damages caused by the breach, such as repair costs, replacement costs, or diminished value.

Burden of Proof

The burden of proof is on the plaintiff, who must establish the breach of warranty by a preponderance of the evidence.

Available Defenses
  • Lack of Warranty
  • Misuse of Product
  • Failure to Mitigate Damages
Common Fact Patterns
  • A consumer purchases a car that comes with a warranty; the car fails to work as promised, leading to repair costs.
  • A homeowner buys a new refrigerator that is advertised as energy-efficient; the refrigerator significantly raises the utility bills due to inefficiency.
Exam Tip

Breach of warranty issues often arise in exam fact patterns involving sales of goods, so focus on identifying warranties, breaches, and the damages claimed.

Key Cases
  • Henningsen v. Bloomfield Motors, Inc.
  • Greenman v. Yuba Power Products, Inc.
  • Rogers v. R. M. Smith Motor Co.

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