Periculum est emptoris
“The risk is the buyer’s.”
Legal maxim from Roman law
What does “Periculum est emptoris” mean?
Periculum est emptoris translates as “The risk is the buyer’s.”
Once a sale is concluded, the risk of loss or damage to the goods passes to the buyer. The principle remains important in contract and commercial law, even where consumer protection has softened it.
The story behind it
The rule goes back to the Roman law of sale, under which the risk passed to the buyer once the sale was complete, even before delivery. It is related to, but not identical with, the maxim caveat emptor.
How to use “Periculum est emptoris”
A precise term for a commercial-law exam sheet or a blog post on buying second-hand.
- Latin
- Periculum est emptoris
- English
- The risk is the buyer’s.
- Source
- Legal maxim from Roman law
- Era
- Legal Latin
- Theme
- Law
Related Latin quotes
One Latin line. Every Monday.
A quote, its translation and the story behind it, free in your inbox.
