A recent court ruling has ordered EAE Business School, a private teaching company owned by EAE-Ostelea, to refund a student who was unable to complete a training course due to an unexpected aggravation of Crohn’s disease. This decision is significant for chronically ill individuals who may struggle with fulfilling contracts due to unforeseen health complications.
In this case, the company argued that the student’s pre-existing condition did not prevent him from taking the course and demanded payment of the outstanding fees. However, the student’s health deteriorated unexpectedly, leading to the termination of the contract. After a legal battle, the court ruled in favor of the student and ordered the refund of all amounts paid.
The magistrate criticized the company for not providing medical evidence to support their claims that the student could have continued the course despite his illness. The court based its decision on the clause as things stand doctrine, which aims to rebalance contracts in cases of unforeseen changes that create disproportionate disadvantages to one party.
This ruling emphasizes the importance of good faith and absence of fault in such situations. It concludes that the student’s inability to complete the course despite payment created a significant imbalance in