ACCEPTANCE DOCTRINE

acceptance doctrine.Construction law.The principle that, once an owner accepts the work of a

contractor,  the  contractor  is  not liable  to  third  parties  for  an  injury  arising  from  the  contractor’s

negligence in performing under the contract, unless the injury results from a hidden, imminently

dangerous  defect that  the  contractor  knows about and  the  owner  does  not  know  about. —  Also

termed accepted-work doctrine. [Cases: Negligence    1205(8). C.J.S. Negligence § 601.] [Blacks Law 8th]