Fixed-Price Contractual Obligation vs. Imprévision

A contractor, who had agreed to construct a building subject to fixed price and deadline contracts, sought to recover increased costs, arguing that a significant and unforeseen increase in the cost of labor and materials after the contracts were signed justified an upward adjustment to the fixed price under the principle of *imprévision* (unforeseen circumstances). The court rejected this claim, reasoning that under French contract law, a fixed-price contract legally binds the parties to the agreed price regardless of subsequent economic fluctuations, and that the doctrine of *imprévision* is generally not applicable to overturn contractual obligations unless the unforeseen event renders performance absolutely impossible, not merely more onerous.