Which Waivers To Sign, And Which To Skip

For some accident-prone activities, you may be asked to sign a liability waiver. A liability waiver acts as an insurance policy for the company running the activity, ensuring that if you get injured doing the activity you cannot sue them in a personal injury suit. In most cases, you are not able to participate in these activities, such as white-water rafting, bungee jumping, or skydiving if you do not sign the liability waiver. In this case, one must explore which waivers to sign, and which ones should be avoided. Let’s take a closer look at some popular high-risk activities and if you should sign or skip their liability waivers. 

Skip: Trampoline Parks

Trampoline parks exploded in popularity in the mid-2000s, and early 2010s. Typically, a large warehouse-type space with fields of connected trampolines, wall trampolines, and plenty of foam pits to jump into. While the companies do their best to make sure these trampolines are safe, experts report that trampoline parks have twice the rate of injury as normal trampolines, which are already highly dangerous. If you or your kids are prone to trying to show off with dangerous flips and jumps, it is best to skip the trampoline park and opt for a safer activity.

Sign: Rock Climbing

While there are some risks with rock climbing, which exponentially increase with outdoor rock climbing, attending a climbing class at a rock-climbing gym is typically very safe. Not only are you in a harness, but there is a trained professional guiding you through the activity. One thing to note is to make sure to be honest about your skill level. Taking on a route that is more difficult than you can handle right off the bat can result in serious injury.

Skip: Haunted Houses

Some hardcore haunted houses advertise that they are so scary you need to sign a liability waiver beforehand. Typically, this is a marketing ploy to make the attraction seem scarier and more enticing to those who have yet to try it. However, this is a liability waiver that you are going to want to skip. In a haunted house you can easily get separated from your group and find yourself in a situation where you are alone with strangers who are now allowed to scare you, and in some houses even touch you. While it’s rare for something to happen, it is better not to put yourself in that type of situation, especially in one where you cannot sue the company that is putting on the event.

Sign: Axe Throwing

While it may sound scary, axe throwing has blown up in popularity because it is very safe. Typically, the axe throwing lanes are set up with chainlink or other fencing separating each target so that an axe from another thrower cannot hit you. Additionally, axes rarely have any bounceback, and if they do not hit the target they just land on the floor. Just be sure to follow safety instructions and throw axes on at a time.

Skip: ATV-ing

ATV-ing is possibly the worst activity that you could sign a liability waiver for. Every year there are over 100,000 ATV injuries, with some of those even resulting in death. ATVs can quickly become unstable on rough terrain, and often flip, crushing the rider. If you do have the desire to explore some rough terrain, try a dune buggy that is equipped with a roll cage for accidents, or a snowmobile that reports a much lower, although still high, rate of injury.

If you have been injured, even after signing a liability waiver, you still may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit and receive justice. To win a personal injury suit like this, you need an attorney like Tim Fleming Law Firm who is experienced in personal injury law. Tim has been helping personal injury clients in Mobile and Baldwin County for over 30 years. Tim Fleming has the hands-on experience to make sure that your personal injury case is the easiest it can be. Contact Tim Fleming today at 251-304-0888.