According to the RAE, incurrir means “to fall into a fault, an offense, or an error” (caer en una falta, cometerla). From the Latin incurrĕre, literally “to run into” or “to run against” (in- + currere, to run). In Legal Spanish, incurrir is almost always followed by the preposition en and means to become subject to a legal consequence, liability, penalty, or obligation as a result of one’s conduct. Thus, a person may incurrir en responsabilidad (to incur liability), incurrir en mora (to fall into default), incurrir en incumplimiento (to be in breach), or incurrir en gastos (to incur expenses). E.g.: Los administradores incurrirán en responsabilidad por los daños causados por actos contrarios a la ley → Directors shall incur liability for damages caused by acts contrary to the law. Another common example is incurrir en mora, that is, to fall into default by failing to perform an obligation when due. Be careful: incurrir does not simply mean “to do” or “to commit.” It conveys the idea of entering into an unfavorable legal situation or becoming exposed to its consequences. As you can see, the original Latin image of “running into” something survives remarkably well in modern Legal Spanish. dc
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