Contract breaches can be a significant issue for business owners and may result in litigation. When one party fails to uphold their side of a contract, it can cause financial harm.
But what if the other party simply misses a deadline? Eventually, they do fulfill the contract as intended. For instance, perhaps the supplier of parts and materials for a larger business is supposed to make a delivery on Monday, but the delivery doesn’t happen until Thursday. They have clearly breached the contract to some degree, but has it actually caused financial damages that would warrant litigation?
An impact on production
It depends on the situation. In some cases, the exact date of the delivery will not affect the company that receives the materials—perhaps because they already have enough in inventory. So the contract was technically violated, but seeking compensation can be difficult because there isn’t any financial harm.
But in other cases, even a minor delay could cause serious issues. If the business that was supposed to receive the materials is a manufacturing plant, and it has to cease production for three days because of the contract delay, that business could lose an incredible amount of productivity and potential earnings. Additionally, this delays the shipment of the final products to consumers, stores and retail centers, which could be harmful to the company’s reputation and bottom line.
In a case like that, it can clearly be seen how a contract breach does cause financial harm. Those involved must know what legal options they have at this time.