Tag Archives: negligence

Things That Get Exercise Professionals into Trouble!

Things That Get Exercise Professionals into Trouble!

             Exercise professionals sometimes find themselves in legal trouble when they attempt to do things they are not qualified or licensed to do. Following the advice of Dr Eickhoff-Shemek can help exercise professionals stay in the gym and out of the courtroom. Take time now to subscribe to her free quarterly newsletter at www.fitnesslawacademy.com.

 

 

 

Exercise Professionals: Distinguishing “Legal” and “Professional” Scope of Practice

By JoAnn M.

Waiver Protects Cheerleader Organization from Liability for Negligence in Georgia

By Doyice Cotten

Kimberly and James Shields sued RDM, LLC d/b/a Georgia All Stars (GA) for negligence when Kimberly tripped and fell from  mats on the floor at an exhibition of participants’ routines for parents to view in the practice area of the gym. Their daughter was a participant in Special Twist (a “special needs all star cheer and dance team.”)  Special Twist is not part of the Georgia All Stars facility or teams, but is instead an independent 501 (3) (c) organization that was invited to participate in the exhibition on the night in question.

The #1 Thing to Check in Your Waiver!

By Doyice Cotten

Contrary to some opinions, All Waivers Are Not Born Equal. Waivers range in length from one sentence to several pages. Some are written specifically for one particular business while others are generic and intended to be used in many situations. Some are written in legalese; others written in plain language. And some provide more types of protection than others.

While waivers may vary in length, specificity, and verbiage, one of the most important determinants of whether the waiver will protect the activity provider is one or two sentences comprising what is called the exculpatory language.

Waiver in a Maritime Case due to Boat Collision fails: It did not Specify whose negligence was Protected

By Doyice Cotten

Steven Gilliam and Calvin Sanders chartered a boat from New Pelican Charters, LLC and both plaintiffs suffered back injuries when, seeing that the boat was about to collide with another fishing boat, tried to quickly move to a safer part of the boat. The collision occurred, in part, because the steering mechanism was faulty.

They filed a maritime law claim alleging negligence in that the boat was not seaworthy (New Pelican Charters v.

Two-Year-Old Loses Toe on a Slide

 

By Doyice Cotten

In 2018, two-year-old girl lost her little toe while sliding down a sliding board into a splash pad at Buzzards Bay Park in Bourne, MA. At the time she went down the slide, there was a vertical crack about a foot long in the slide. The toe caught in the crack and was sliced off.  [A splash pad  is a recreation area, often in a public park, for water play that has little or no standing water.]

The girl,

Hanrahan-Fox v. Top Gun Shooting Sports (2019): A Look at Missouri Waiver Law

By Doyice Cotten

Marie Hanrahan-Fox, after patronizing the shooting range operated by Defendant Top Gun Shooting Sports, alleged that she suffered irreversible hearing loss due to the inadequate hearing protection provided her by Top Gun.  She claimed that Top Gun was negligent; in addition, her husband made a claim for loss of consortium.  They also made a products liability claim against Pyramex Safety Products, LLC, which was not before this court.

Top Gun moved for Summary Judgment based on the waiver signed by the plaintiff. 

Niagara Jet Boat: Was there Gross Negligence?

By Doyice Cotten

This post examines another important issue in the Witkowski v. Niagara Jet Boat Adventures, LLC, 2020 case – Gross Negligence or Ordinary Negligence.

In the jet boat case, the Witkowski’s took a jet boat ride and Sarah Witkowski suffered injury. The reader is referred back to last week’s post for the facts of the case.

The final issue addressed in the case was the allegation that Niagara Jet was grossly negligent.

Gross Negligence Law in Pennsylvania

By Doyice Cotten

 

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court (Tayer v. Camelback Ski Corporation, Inc., 2012) addressed the issue of the

enforceability of waivers when the act in question was recklessness; it ruled that there is a dominant public policy against enforcing waivers seeking to protect reckless behavior. Unfortunately, the court left unaddressed the issue of waivers when the action involved gross negligence.

It was not until 2019 when the question was answered.

Insufficient Language Results in Waiver’s Failure to Protect for Negligence in a Deep Sea Fishing Trip – Admiralty Law

By Doyice Cotten

Sport, recreation, and fitness businesses regularly depend upon liability waivers for protection from liability for injuries resulting from the negligence of the business. What is still astounding is the quality of some of the waivers relied upon by some businesses. Some small businesses have investments of hundreds of thousands of dollars; other businesses’ investments are in the millions. In spite of this, some are relying upon what seems to be a 25 cent waiver.

In New Pelican Charters,LLC v.

The Difference Between Ordinary Negligence and Gross Negligence

By Doyice Cotten

Most sport, recreation, and fitness professionals have an idea (though they are often incorrect) of what constitutes ordinary negligence. Many understand that

ordinary negligence is the failure to exercise the level of care that someone of ordinary prudence would have exercised under the same circumstances. Many understand that negligence is indicated by  inattention, irresponsibility, and actions that are careless.  

A California federal court (Kabogoza v. Blue Water Boating,