Question:
I was a guest at someone’s house for Shabbat. I was playing with the wine opener while it was on the table, opened it fully and then it broke accidentally.
Am I liable for damages since it was unintentional and am I obligated to replace the wine opener?
Answer:
Breaking something unintentional is not a reason to exempt liability, unless the circumstances were beyond your control. However you don’t have to replace the wine opener with a new one since you only broke a used one. Therefore what owe them is the value of a used wine opener.
Sources:
Baba Kama 26a, CH:M 378-1.
