Signing a Liability Waiver: What Does It Really Mean?

Liability waivers are extremely common in a wide variety of situations. Be it engaging in sports, high-risk events, or even something as simple as dropping off children at a day car could all prompt a liability waiver. In fact, liability waivers have become so common, many people will simply sign them without even glancing at the form and understanding what rights they may legally be giving away.
What Do These Waivers Contain?
Waivers often contain plenty of legal jargon that may not be immediately recognizable to the person signing it. In general, the purpose of a liability waiver is to absolve the business or service provider furnishing the waiver of any responsibility should the person signing it get hurt – whether for common reasons or negligence. It also serves as written evidence that participants of the event or service they signed off on were warned of the potential dangers and risks they could have been subjected to.
Before signing a liability waiver, the participant should know exactly what rights they are signing away and just what kind of recourse they have should they get injured. Of course, just because a waiver has been signed, it does not necessarily mean that the signer has no rights whatsoever. Liability waivers must meet certain standards before they can actually be legally binding.
For starters, a waiver could be rendered invalid if it is written in a way that is difficult to understand or is otherwise misleading or excessively lengthy. A waiver should also be formatted in a way that is clear and accessible to those signing it. Any number of things could invalidate a liability waiver.
If you a loved one has been injured in an event or setting that used a liability waiver as a prerequisite, you may still have recourse. Contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Lombardi and Lombardi today by calling 732-564-7165 or contact us online to schedule your case consultation.
 
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney/client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly.