Gyms, schools and just about every other activity you and your children participate in these days likely has you signing some type of legal liability waiver before you can get started. So what exactly are these waivers and how do they impact your ability to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit in the event that you are injured?

Legal liability waivers are intended to protect the business from accidents that happen on their premises. What you are doing when you sign these is essentially acknowledging the risks inherent in whatever the activity is and agreeing not to sue the business in the event of an injury.  Here’s some important things to note about these waivers:

• Always Read What You Sign!: It sounds obvious but before quickly signing every paper put in front of you, take a moment to read things over. Sure these are filled with lots of legal jargon and other confusing terms but you should always read what you sign so that you understand what exactly you are agreeing to. In some instances, signing the waiver is not always required; but you would not know that if you don’t read the fine print!
• A Personal Injury Suit May Be Possible: Perhaps the language of the waiver was too vague or did not include the injury that happened– whatever the circumstance, do not automatically assume that you are barred from filing a lawsuit just because you signed a waiver. While legal liability waivers are enforceable and can serve as a bar to a lawsuit, the simple act of making clients sign them doesn’t mean that a business is completely immune from a lawsuit when they behavior is seriously negligent. At your first consultation with us, we will be happy to do a free review of your waiver and give you your legal options.
• Don’t Delay: If you are dealing with an injury or death, you do not want to delay in finding out what your legal options are. There are strict time limitations in place for filing suits (and even stricter ones when it comes to government liability) that you do not want to miss. Filing a personal injury lawsuit is a lot of work…for us, not you. At Walch Law, we know what you are dealing with and make the process very easy for you.

In most instances, you do not have a choice about whether or not to sign a legal liability waiver if you want to participate in a certain activity; but there are also a lot of legally questionable waivers out there that a court would never hold up. If you are dealing with an injury or death and concerned about the impact your signed waiver has on your legal options, do not hesitate to get in touch with us today to discuss things further. We are here to help!