ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK

Almost everywhere I go, I see signs posted of people claiming that they aren’t responsible for anything that happens on their property. The sign pictured in this blog post was taken while I was on the treadmill at my gym. Most people just glance over these things, but what if you seriously got hurt because of something the owner of that sign did? Does that sign mean that you can’t hold them responsible?

The answer is… it depends. Whether or not these signs have any legal impact depends on the situation and circumstances of the particular case. In the case of my gym, I also signed a waiver in the contract and going to the gym is something that I do voluntarily, so a court will likely enforce the disclaimer sign. However, if it was at a business that I was shopping at, I hadn’t signed anything personally agreeing to waive liability, and the company was clearly negligent, a court probably would not enforce the disclaimer.

The number of different situations that this could be applied to is literally endless. Each and every detail involved in the story factors into the equation of how much weight the court will give to the disclaimer sign. Because of this, it is extremely important that you always consult with an attorney if you’ve been hurt, regardless of what any sign says.