In the past week, I’ve signed waivers for field trips and summer camps. Some are lengthy and complicated and others short and simple. Waivers are common in sporting activities and at health clubs. Generally, a waiver means that the participant agrees in advance to accept liability for injuries that may result from negligent acts of others. If something goes wrong, the activity provider will use the waiver to defend against the claim. Waivers that are clear and straightforward will usually defeat a claim, unless the activity provider knew about a danger and ignored it.
If you have been injured during an activity and you signed a waiver, your chances to be compensated are likely reduced. When I meet with new clients, I ask them to bring copies of waivers, as well as any enrollment forms or product rental agreements. I carefully look at the language used in the forms and find out their understanding of those documents.