# Liability

Source: https://contracko.com/fr/glossaire/responsabilite

# Liability

Legal responsibility to compensate another party for loss caused by an act or omission.

## Définition

Liability is the obligation to make good the loss another party suffers as a result of breach, negligence, or another wrongful act. In contracts it is often capped or excluded for certain categories such as indirect or consequential loss, although caps on intent or gross negligence are usually unenforceable. Under Dutch law contractual liability flows from article 6:74 and non-contractual (tort) liability from 6:162.

## Exemple

> A contract limits the supplier's total liability to the fees paid in the prior year, but carves out fraud and personal injury.

## Pourquoi c'est un risque pour l'entreprise

Unmanaged liability exposure is one of the most common causes of business-ending disputes. An uncapped indemnity or an overlooked carve-out can leave a company responsible for losses far exceeding contract value. Equally, an over-broad exclusion may be unenforceable, leaving you without the protection you assumed you had.

## Comment le gérer

- Set a liability cap in every commercial contract: a figure tied to contract value or annual fees is common and gives both sides predictability.
- List the categories excluded from the cap (fraud, wilful misconduct, death, personal injury) to ensure those carve-outs are intentional, not accidental.
- Match your liability exposure to your insurance cover; if a cap exceeds your policy limit, your insurer will not fill the gap.
- Review limitation clauses in supplier contracts as carefully as your own: a supplier's narrow cap may leave you uncompensated for your actual loss.

### Comment Contracko aide

Contracko's AI review surfaces liability caps, carve-outs, and uncapped indemnities across your contract portfolio so you can spot where exposure is concentrated. Batch extraction lets you pull these figures into a report for risk or finance teams without manually opening every document.

## Références juridiques

- [BW 6:74 Dutch Civil Code: contractual liability Droit néerlandais](https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0005289)
- [BW 6:162 Dutch Civil Code: tort Droit néerlandais](https://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0005289)

Sauf mention contraire, les références renvoient au droit néerlandais (Burgerlijk Wetboek, le Code civil néerlandais) ; les instruments de l'UE tels que le RGPD s'appliquent dans toute l'UE. Il s'agit d'informations générales, pas de conseils juridiques. D'autres juridictions traitent ces concepts différemment. Vérifiez le texte en vigueur et votre situation avec un avocat qualifié.

## Pertinent pour

[Logiciels & SaaS](https://contracko.com/fr/secteurs/logiciel-saas)[Construction](https://contracko.com/fr/secteurs/industrie-construction)[Assurance](https://contracko.com/fr/secteurs/assurance)[Ingénierie et architecture](https://contracko.com/fr/secteurs/ingenierie)

## Clauses associées

- [Limitation of Liability Clause](https://contracko.com/fr/bibliotheque-de-clauses/limitation-de-responsabilite)
- [Indemnification Clause](https://contracko.com/fr/bibliotheque-de-clauses/clause-indemnisation)
- [Warranties Clause](https://contracko.com/fr/bibliotheque-de-clauses/garanties)

## Termes associés

- [Indemnity](https://contracko.com/fr/glossaire/indemnite)
- [Breach of contract](https://contracko.com/fr/glossaire/rupture-de-contrat)
- [Warranty](https://contracko.com/fr/glossaire/garantie)
- [Force majeure](https://contracko.com/fr/glossaire/force-majeure)

### Ne manquez plus jamais une échéance de contrat

- L'IA repère les dates de renouvellement et de préavis
- Les risques et obligations sont mis en évidence automatiquement
- Les rappels vous aident à agir avant que les dates ne filent

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Conforme au RGPD. Chiffré. Jamais utilisé pour l'entraînement de l'IA.

## Foire aux questions

Questions courantes sur ce terme.

- **Q:** Can a contract exclude all liability?
  **A:** No. Under Dutch law an exclusion or cap that would cover the party's own intent or gross negligence is generally void as contrary to reasonableness and fairness.

- **Q:** What is consequential loss and why is it often excluded?
  **A:** Consequential loss is indirect harm flowing from a breach, such as lost profits or reputational damage. It is often excluded because it can far exceed the contract value, making it difficult to price and insure.

- **Q:** Is liability for data breaches usually capped?
  **A:** Suppliers often seek to cap it; customers and regulators push back because GDPR fines and notification costs can be very large. The carve-out for data protection obligations is a key negotiation point in technology contracts.

- **Q:** Can a liability clause protect a party from tort claims as well?
  **A:** It depends on drafting and jurisdiction. Under Dutch law, contractual caps can in principle also apply to concurrent tort claims between the same parties, but courts scrutinise this carefully.

- **Q:** How is gross negligence treated in Dutch liability clauses?
  **A:** Excluding or capping liability for a party's own gross negligence is generally void under Dutch law as contrary to reasonableness and fairness, so clauses should carve it out explicitly.

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