Warranty for a Particular Purpose

Examples and Case Studies

Real-Life Example

Consider a situation where a buyer purchases a tractor from a dealer, explicitly stating that it needs to handle steep hills for a specific agricultural project. If the dealer assures the buyer that the tractor will meet this requirement, a warranty for a particular purpose is created. If the tractor then fails to operate effectively on steep hills, the warranty for a particular purpose may be considered breached.

Case Study: Smith v. Jones

In the landmark case of Smith v. Jones, the court examined whether a warranty for a particular purpose had been breached. The plaintiff, Smith, purchased a custom-made software from Jones, intended to streamline Smith's unique business processes. Smith provided specific requirements that the software needed to meet. Despite assurances from Jones, the software failed to perform the required tasks. The court found that Jones had breached the warranty for a particular purpose because the software did not meet the explicit needs that were communicated at the time of sale.

Case Study: Baker v. Appliance Co.

In Baker v. Appliance Co., the plaintiff, Baker, bought an industrial oven from Appliance Co., specifically for baking a particular type of pastry. Appliance Co. was informed about the specific baking needs, and they recommended a model suitable for this purpose. When the oven failed to produce the required baking results, Baker sued for breach of warranty for a particular purpose. The court ruled in favor of Baker, stating that the warranty for a particular purpose had indeed been breached as the oven did not meet the specified requirements communicated during the purchase.

Legal Requirements

To establish a breach of warranty for a particular purpose, the following elements must generally be proven:

• The buyer had a particular purpose for the product.
• The seller knew or had reason to know of this particular purpose.
• The buyer relied on the seller's expertise to select a suitable product.
• The product failed to meet the specified purpose.

Common Issues and Disputes

Common disputes in warranty for a particular purpose cases often revolve around:

• Whether the seller was adequately informed of the specific purpose.
• Whether the buyer's reliance on the seller's expertise was reasonable.
• Determining if the product's failure was due to the seller's recommendations or other factors.