# Consequential damages

Source: https://contracko.com/es/glosario/danos-indirectos

# Consequential damages

Indirect loss flowing on from a breach, such as lost profit, lost production or reputational harm.

## Definición

Consequential or indirect damages are losses that do not arise immediately from the breach itself but as a knock-on effect, such as lost profit, business interruption or third-party claims. These are the most common target of exclusion in liability clauses. Dutch law has no fixed statutory definition; what qualifies as "consequential" depends on the contractual definition and on the attribution test of articles 6:95 to 6:98 BW.

## Ejemplo

> A supplier excludes consequential damages, so a buyer cannot recover the profit it lost while a defective component halted its factory line.

## Por qué es un riesgo para la empresa

Consequential damages are often the biggest financial exposure in a failure scenario, yet they are routinely excluded in supplier terms. If your business depends on a single supplier and that supplier fails, the resulting lost revenue and customer penalties may be entirely unrecoverable under the contract. Accepting a blanket exclusion of indirect loss without understanding what it covers means the largest risks are uninsured and unenforceable.

## Cómo gestionarlo

- Identify your highest-value indirect exposures before signing and negotiate targeted carve-outs from the consequential-damage exclusion for those specific categories.
- Ensure your own business interruption insurance covers losses that the contract does not allow you to recover from the supplier.
- Use contractual milestones and service levels so that a failure is detected and escalated before downstream losses accumulate.
- When you are the party granting the exclusion, define "consequential" precisely so you are not arguing about scope in a dispute.

### Cómo ayuda Contracko

Contracko's AI review flags exclusion of consequential loss as a key risk finding and summarises which categories of indirect damage each contract covers or excludes, so your legal and commercial teams can spot dangerous gaps across the portfolio. Obligation tracking surfaces milestone and SLA commitments that serve as an early-warning system before downstream losses arise.

## Referencias legales

- [BW 6:96 Dutch Civil Code: extent of damages Derecho neerlandés](https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0005289)
- [BW 6:98 Dutch Civil Code: causation and attribution Derecho neerlandés](https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0005289)

Salvo indicación en contrario, las referencias remiten al derecho neerlandés (Burgerlijk Wetboek, el Código Civil neerlandés); los instrumentos de la UE como el RGPD se aplican en toda la UE. Se trata de información general, no de asesoramiento legal. Otras jurisdicciones tratan estos conceptos de forma distinta. Verifique el texto vigente y su situación con un abogado cualificado.

## Relevante para

[Industria manufacturera](https://contracko.com/es/sectores/fabricacion)[Logística y distribución](https://contracko.com/es/sectores/logistica)[Servicios informáticos](https://contracko.com/es/sectores/servicios-informaticos)

## Cláusulas relacionadas

- [Limitation of Liability Clause](https://contracko.com/es/biblioteca-de-clausulas/limitacion-de-responsabilidad)
- [Indemnification Clause](https://contracko.com/es/biblioteca-de-clausulas/clausula-de-indemnizacion)

## Términos relacionados

- [Direct damages](https://contracko.com/es/glosario/danos-directos)
- [Liability limitation](https://contracko.com/es/glosario/limitacion-de-responsabilidad)
- [Exoneration clause](https://contracko.com/es/glosario/clausula-de-exoneracion)

### No vuelva a perder un plazo de contrato

- La IA encuentra las fechas de renovación y preaviso
- Los riesgos y obligaciones afloran automáticamente
- Los recordatorios le ayudan a actuar antes de que las fechas se escapen

Suelte un contrato para empezar

PDF, DOCX, PNG o JPG

[Empezar prueba de 7 días](https://app.contracko.com/register?appLanguage=es&utm_source=glossary_sidebar&utm_medium=lead_magnet&utm_campaign=glossary_sidebar_contract_upload&content_slug=consequential-damages&content_title=Consequential+damages&cta_placement=glossary_sidebar_cta&source_tool=glossary_sidebar_consequential-damages)

Conforme con el RGPD. Cifrado. Nunca se usa para entrenar la IA.

## Preguntas frecuentes

Preguntas comunes sobre este término.

- **Q:** Is a complete exclusion of consequential damages enforceable in the Netherlands?
  **A:** Between businesses it is generally valid, but a court can set it aside under article 6:248 BW if relying on it would be unacceptable by standards of reasonableness and fairness, especially where the damage stems from intent or gross negligence.

- **Q:** What is typically listed as a consequential loss in standard contracts?
  **A:** Common examples are lost profit, loss of revenue, loss of business, loss of goodwill, data loss, business interruption and third-party claims. The exact list varies by contract and industry.

- **Q:** Can I carve out specific categories of indirect loss from a consequential-damage exclusion?
  **A:** Yes. Negotiating a carve-out that keeps, for example, data-recovery costs or regulatory fines within the recoverable categories is a common approach when a blanket exclusion is otherwise acceptable.

- **Q:** Does an exclusion of consequential damages also exclude claims under an indemnity?
  **A:** Not unless the indemnity is expressly subject to the exclusion. Indemnities are often drafted to survive consequential-damage exclusions; the key is to read both provisions together.

- **Q:** How does a force majeure event interact with consequential-damage exclusions?
  **A:** Force majeure excuses performance but does not by itself limit damages if performance is not actually impossible. An exclusion of consequential loss and a force majeure clause serve different purposes and both may apply simultaneously in an extended outage situation.

## Vea estos términos en sus propios contratos

Suba un contrato y Contracko extrae los términos, fechas y obligaciones clave, y luego le recuerda cada uno de ellos antes de que importe.

[Iniciar la prueba gratuita de 7 días](https://app.contracko.com/register?appLanguage=es)

Reservar demo