There are many places in New Jersey for people to go and have a good time playing sports or doing hobbies or other recreational activities.
Many of these venues are open year-round. For instance, people can and do go skydiving or skiing in some parts of this state.
Sadly, it comes with the territory that people do get hurt or even killed while participating in these activities. Severe accidents happen even when the participant is following all the safety rules and behaving responsibly.
The investigation is still underway, but one recent example of this type tragedy involved a skydiving outfit in another part of this state. Federal and state authorities responded to the tragic death of a skydiver.
Authorities located the victim near the airport after an apparent skydive that went horribly wrong. He was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.
Victims and their families should not assume that they have no claim
It is pretty standard practice for sports and recreation outfits open to the public to ask participants to sign a waiver of liability.
Generally, a participant who signs this waiver promises not to sue for personal injuries if they get hurt doing a risky activity like skydiving for example. Businesses frequently use waivers for a range of other activities as well.
How well these waivers hold up in court will depend on a number of factors, including the language of the waiver.
Moreover, it is important for victims to remember that the waiver is only an agreement between a business and the person. The waiver might not cover claims for defective products or other issues that really are the responsibility of someone else.
To continue the example, a company that manufactured a defective parachute might not get protection from a waiver to which they did not agree at the time.
Waivers do not automatically get a business off the hook if an accident happens on their watch. New Jersey residents who have been hurt while participating in recreational or sports activities should make sure they understand all of their options.
