Superveniens

Superveniens is a legal term used in some civil law and common law traditions to describe a circumstance or event that occurs after an initial act and bears on its consequences, such as liability, causation, or contractual performance. The word comes from Latin, meaning coming upon or subsequent.

In the doctrine of causation, a supervening event can affect the chain of causation. If the event is unforeseeable or attributable to a third party, it may be considered an intervening or superseding cause, potentially relieving the original actor of liability or reducing responsibility. Conversely, a foreseeable supervening event may not sever the causal link.

In contract law, a supervening impossibility or impracticability—events occurring after contract formation that make performance impossible or excessively burdensome—can discharge or suspend obligations. This concept intersects with force majeure rules in some jurisdictions, but is not identical to them.

In insurance law, a supervening risk or event may determine whether a loss is covered, excluded, or triggers additional policy terms. Doctrines vary by jurisdiction and policy language, and the specific impact depends on the contract and applicable law.

Terminology: In English-language contexts, the corresponding term is usually supervening or supervenience in philosophical usage. The Latin form superveniens is most commonly found in older legal writing or in jurisdictions that retain Latin terminology. See also proximate cause, intervening cause, force majeure, and supervenience.