Breach of contract is a cause of action or claim in civil litigation (lawsuits) that provides the legal basis for a person or entity to recover its damages/losses when another person or entity breaches an enforceable written or verbal agreement (contract) by breaking one or more promises in the agreement.
In Massachusetts, a breach of contract occurs when one party fails to fulfill their obligations under a binding agreement, whether written or verbal. To successfully claim a breach of contract in a civil lawsuit, the plaintiff must demonstrate that a valid contract existed, the plaintiff fulfilled their own contractual obligations or had a valid reason for not doing so, the defendant failed to fulfill their contractual obligations, and the plaintiff suffered damages as a result of the breach. The statute of limitations for breach of contract in Massachusetts is generally six years for written contracts and three years for verbal contracts, starting from the date of the breach. If the court finds that a breach has occurred, the injured party may be entitled to various remedies, including compensatory damages to cover the losses incurred due to the breach, and in some cases, specific performance or injunctive relief to enforce the terms of the contract.