Can’t Sleep? Guest was injured, and you don’t know what to do? This book can answer those questions for you.
Posted: February 20, 2019 Filed under: Adventure Travel, American Alpine Club (AAC), American Avalanche Association (A3), American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) & American National Standards Institute (ANSI), Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE), Associations & Tradeshows, Assumption of the Risk, Avalanche, Bicycle Colorado, Camping, Certification, Climbing, Climbing Wall, College Program, Colorado Alliance of Environmental Education, Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA), Conferences, Contract, Criminal Liability, Cycling, Editorial, Equine Activities (Horses, Donkeys, Mules) & Animals, First Aid, Good Samaritan Statutes, Grand Canyon River Guides Association (GCRGA), Guide, Health Club, How, Indoor Recreation Center, Insurance, Interbike, James H. Moss, Journal, Jurisdiction and Venue (Forum Selection), Land Owner, Marketing, Medical, Minors, Youth, Children, Moss Maxims, Mountain Biking, Mountaineering, National Bicycle Dealers Association, National Recreation & Parks Association, National Ski Patrol (NSP), Negligence, Non-Profit, NSAA (National Ski Area Association), Outdoor Retailer Trade Show, Paddlesports, Playground, Product Liability, Product Recall, Racing, Racing, Recreational Use Statute, Release (pre-injury contract not to sue), Retailers, Risk Management, Rivers and Waterways, Rock Climbing, Scuba Diving, Sea Kayaking, Search and Rescue (SAR), Ski Area, Ski Area Statutes, Skier v. Skier, Skiing / Snow Boarding, Skydiving, Paragliding, Hang gliding, Snow Tubing, Snowsports Industry Association (SIA) Ski Show, Sport and Recreation Law Association (SRLA), Sports, Sports & Fitness Industry Association, (SFIA) formerly Sporting Goods Manufacturing Association (SGMA), Standards, Statutes, Summer Camp, Swimming, Triathlon, Union Internationale des Association d’Alpinisme (UIAA), Volunteers, Whitewater Rafting, Why People Sue, Wilderness Medical Society (WMS), Youth Camps, Zip Line | Tags: #ORLawTextbook, #ORRiskManagment, #OutdoorRecreationRiskManagementInsurance&Law, #OutdoorRecreationTextbook, @SagamorePub, Accidents, Angry Guest, Dealing with Claims, General Liability Insurance, Guide, http://www.rec-law.us/ORLawTextbook, Injured Guest, Insurance policy, James H. Moss J.D., Jim Moss, Liability insurance, OR Textbook, Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Outdoor Recreation Law, Outdoor Recreation Risk Management, Outfitter, RecreationLaw, Risk Management, risk management plan, Textbook, Understanding, Understanding Insurance, Understanding Risk Management, Upset Guest Leave a commentAn injured guest is everyone’s business owner’s nightmare. What happened, how do you make sure it does not happen again, what can you do to help the guest, can you help the guests are just some of the questions that might be keeping you up at night.
This book can help you understand why people sue and how you can and should deal with injured, angry or upset guests of your business.
This book is designed to help you rest easy about what you need to do and how to do it. More importantly, this book will make sure you keep your business afloat and moving forward.
You did not get into the outdoor recreation business to worry or spend nights staying awake. Get prepared and learn how and why so you can sleep and quit worrying.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Outdoor Recreation Risk Management, Law, and Insurance: An Overview
Chapter 2 U.S. Legal System and Legal Research
Chapter 3 Risk 25
Chapter 4 Risk, Accidents, and Litigation: Why People Sue
Chapter 5 Law 57
Chapter 6 Statutes that Affect Outdoor Recreation
Chapter 7 Pre-injury Contracts to Prevent Litigation: Releases
Chapter 8 Defenses to Claims
Chapter 9 Minors
Chapter 10 Skiing and Ski Areas
Chapter 11 Other Commercial Recreational Activities
Chapter 12 Water Sports, Paddlesports, and water-based activities
Chapter 13 Rental Programs
Chapter 14 Insurance
$99.00 plus shipping
New Book Aids Both CEOs and Students
Posted: February 14, 2019 Filed under: Adventure Travel, Assumption of the Risk, Camping, Case Analysis, Challenge or Ropes Course, Climbing, Climbing Wall, Contract, Cycling, Equine Activities (Horses, Donkeys, Mules) & Animals, First Aid, Good Samaritan Statutes, Insurance, James H. Moss, Jurisdiction and Venue (Forum Selection), Legal Case, Medical, Mountain Biking, Mountaineering, Negligence, Paddlesports, Recreational Use Statute, Release (pre-injury contract not to sue), Risk Management, Rivers and Waterways, Rock Climbing, Sea Kayaking, Ski Area, Ski Area Statutes, Skiing / Snow Boarding, Skydiving, Paragliding, Hang gliding, Swimming, Whitewater Rafting, Zip Line | Tags: Adventure travel, and Law, assumption of the risk, camping, Case Analysis, Challenge or Ropes Course, Climbing, Climbing Wall, Contract, Cycling, Desk Reference, Donkeys, Equine Activities (Horses, first aid, Good Samaritan Statutes, Hang gliding, Insurance, James H. Moss, Jurisdiction and Venue (Forum Selection), Law, Legal Case, Medical, Mountain biking, Mountaineering, Mules) & Animals, Negligence, Outdoor Industry, Outdoor recreation, Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Outdoor Recreation Risk Management, Paddlesports, Paragliding, Recreational Use Statute, Reference Book, Release (pre-injury contract not to sue), Reward, Risk, Risk Management, Rivers and Waterways, Rock climbing, Sea Kayaking, ski area, Ski Area Statutes, Skiing / Snow Boarding, Skydiving, swimming, Textbook, Whitewater Rafting, zip line Leave a comment“Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management, and Law” is a definitive guide to preventing and overcoming legal issues in the outdoor recreation industry
Denver based James H. Moss, JD, an attorney who specializes in the legal issues of outdoor recreation and adventure travel companies, guides, outfitters, and manufacturers, has written a comprehensive legal guidebook titled, “Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management, and Law”. Sagamore Publishing, a well-known Illinois-based educational publisher, distributes the book.
Mr. Moss, who applied his 30 years of experience with the legal, insurance, and risk management issues of the outdoor industry, wrote the book in order to fill a void.
“There was nothing out there that looked at case law and applied it to legal problems in outdoor recreation,” Moss explained. “The goal of this book is to provide sound advice based on past law and experience.”
The Reference book is sold via the Summit Magic Publishing, LLC.
While written as a college-level textbook, the guide also serves as a legal primer for executives, managers, and business owners in the field of outdoor recreation. It discusses how to tackle, prevent, and overcome legal issues in all areas of the industry.
The book is organized into 14 chapters that are easily accessed as standalone topics, or read through comprehensively. Specific topics include rental programs, statues that affect outdoor recreation, skiing and ski areas, and defenses to claims. Mr. Moss also incorporated listings of legal definitions, cases, and statutes, making the book easy for laypeople to understand.
PURCHASE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Cases
Introduction
Outdoor Recreation Law and Insurance: Overview
Risk
Risk
Perception versus Actual Risk
Risk v. Reward
Risk Evaluation
Risk Management Strategies
Humans & Risk
Risk = Accidents
Accidents may/may not lead to litigation
How Do You Deal with Risk?
How Does Acceptance of Risk Convert to Litigation?
Negative Feelings against the Business
Risk, Accidents & Litigation
No Real Acceptance of the Risk
No Money to Pay Injury Bills
No Health Insurance
Insurance Company Subrogation
Negative Feelings
Litigation
Dealing with Different People
Dealing with Victims
Develop a Friend & Eliminate a Lawsuit
Don’t Compound Minor Problems into Major Lawsuits
Emergency Medical Services
Additional Causes of Lawsuits in Outdoor Recreation
Employees
How Do You Handle A Victim?
Dealing with Different People
Dealing with Victims
Legal System in the United States
Courts
State Court System
Federal Court System
Other Court Systems
Laws
Statutes
Parties to a Lawsuit
Attorneys
Trials
Law
Torts
Negligence
Duty
Breach of the Duty
Injury
Proximate Causation
Damages
Determination of Duty Owed
Duty of an Outfitter
Duty of a Guide
Duty of Livery Owner
Duty of Rental Agent
Duty of Volunteer Youth Leader
In Loco Parentis
Intentional Torts
Gross Negligence
Willful & Wanton Negligence
Intentional Negligence
Negligence Per Se
Strict Liability
Attractive Nuisance
Results of Acts That Are More than Ordinary Negligence
Product Liability
Contracts
Breach of Contract
Breach of Warranty
Express Warranty
Implied Warranty
Warranty of Fitness for a Particular Purpose
Warranty of Merchantability
Warranty of Statute
Detrimental Reliance
Unjust Enrichment
Liquor Liability
Food Service Liability
Damages
Compensatory Damages
Special Damages
Punitive Damages
Statutory Defenses
Skier Safety Acts
Whitewater Guides & Outfitters
Equine Liability Acts
Legal Defenses
Assumption of Risk
Express Assumption of Risk
Implied Assumption of Risk
Primary Assumption of Risk
Secondary Assumption of Risk
Contributory Negligence
Assumption of Risk & Minors
Inherent Dangers
Assumption of Risk Documents.
Assumption of Risk as a Defense.
Statutory Assumption of Risk
Express Assumption of Risk
Contributory Negligence
Joint and Several Liability
Release, Waivers & Contracts Not to Sue
Why do you need them
Exculpatory Agreements
Releases
Waivers
Covenants Not to sue
Who should be covered
What should be included
Negligence Clause
Jurisdiction & Venue Clause
Assumption of Risk
Other Clauses
Indemnification
Hold Harmless Agreement
Liquidated Damages
Previous Experience
Misc
Photography release
Video Disclaimer
Drug and/or Alcohol clause
Medical Transportation & Release
HIPAA
Problem Areas
What the Courts do not want to see
Statute of Limitations
Minors
Adults
Defenses Myths
Agreements to Participate
Parental Consent Agreements
Informed Consent Agreements
Certification
Accreditation
Standards, Guidelines & Protocols
License
Specific Occupational Risks
Personal Liability of Instructors, Teachers & Educators
College & University Issues
Animal Operations, Packers
Equine Activities
Canoe Livery Operations
Tube rentals
Downhill Skiing
Ski Rental Programs
Indoor Climbing Walls
Instructional Programs
Mountaineering
Retail Rental Programs
Rock Climbing
Tubing Hills
Whitewater Rafting
Risk Management Plan
Introduction for Risk Management Plans
What Is A Risk Management Plan?
What should be in a Risk Management Plan
Risk Management Plan Template
Ideas on Developing a Risk Management Plan
Preparing your Business for Unknown Disasters
Building Fire & Evacuation
Dealing with an Emergency
Insurance
Theory of Insurance
Insurance Companies
Deductibles
Self-Insured Retention
Personal v. Commercial Policies
Types of Policies
Automobile
Comprehension
Collision
Bodily Injury
Property Damage
Uninsured Motorist
Personal Injury Protection
Non-Owned Automobile
Hired Car
Fire Policy
Coverage
Liability
Named Peril v. All Risk
Commercial Policies
Underwriting
Exclusions
Special Endorsements
Rescue Reimbursement
Policy Procedures
Coverage’s
Agents
Brokers
General Agents
Captive Agents
Types of Policies
Claims Made
Occurrence
Claims
Federal and State Government Insurance Requirements
Bibliography
Index
The 427-page volume is sold via Summit Magic Publishing, LLC.
Do Releases Work? Should I be using a Release in my Business? Will my customers be upset if I make them sign a release?
Posted: February 12, 2019 Filed under: Activity / Sport / Recreation, Adventure Travel, Associations & Tradeshows, Assumption of the Risk, Avalanche, Camping, Certification, Challenge or Ropes Course, Climbing, Climbing Wall, College Program, Commercial Outfitter, Contract, Cycling, Equine Activities (Horses, Donkeys, Mules) & Animals, Evidence, First Aid, Good Samaritan Statutes, Guide, Health Club, Indoor Recreation Center, Insurance, James H. Moss, Jurisdiction and Venue (Forum Selection), Land Owner, Marketing, Medical, Minors, Youth, Children, Mountain Biking, Mountaineering, Negligence, Paddlesports, Playground, Product Liability, Racing, Racing, Recreational Use Statute, Release (pre-injury contract not to sue), Retailers, Risk Management, Rivers and Waterways, Rock Climbing, Scuba Diving, Sea Kayaking, Search and Rescue (SAR), Ski Area, Ski Area Statutes, Skier v. Skier, Skiing / Snow Boarding, Skydiving, Paragliding, Hang gliding, Snow Tubing, Sports, Standards, Statutes, Summer Camp, Swimming, Triathlon, Volunteers, Whitewater Rafting, Why People Sue, Youth Camps, Zip Line | Tags: #ORLawTextbook, #ORRiskManagment, #OutdoorRecreationRiskManagementInsurance&Law, #OutdoorRecreationTextbook, @SagamorePub, Accidents, Angry Guest, Dealing with Claims, General Liability Insurance, Guide, http://www.rec-law.us/ORLawTextbook, Injured Guest, Insurance policy, James H. Moss J.D., Jim Moss, Liability insurance, OR Textbook, Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Outdoor Recreation Law, Outdoor Recreation Risk Management, Outfitter, RecreationLaw, Risk Management, risk management plan, Textbook, Understanding, Understanding Insurance, Understanding Risk Management, Upset Guest Leave a commentThese and many other questions are answered in my book Outdoor Recreation Risk Management, Insurance and Law.
Releases, (or as some people incorrectly call them waivers) are a legal agreement that in advance of any possible injury identifies who will pay for what. Releases can and to stop lawsuits.
This book will explain releases and other defenses you can use to put yourself in a position to stop lawsuits and claims.
This book can help you understand why people sue and how you can and should deal with injured, angry or upset guests of your business.
This book is designed to help you rest easy about what you need to do and how to do it. More importantly, this book will make sure you keep your business afloat and moving forward.
You did not get into the outdoor recreation business to worry or spend nights staying awake. Get prepared and learn how and why so you can sleep and quit worrying.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Outdoor Recreation Risk Management, Law, and Insurance: An Overview
Chapter 2 U.S. Legal System and Legal Research
Chapter 3 Risk 25
Chapter 4 Risk, Accidents, and Litigation: Why People Sue
Chapter 5 Law 57
Chapter 6 Statutes that Affect Outdoor Recreation
Chapter 7 Pre-injury Contracts to Prevent Litigation: Releases
Chapter 8 Defenses to Claims
Chapter 9 Minors
Chapter 10 Skiing and Ski Areas
Chapter 11 Other Commercial Recreational Activities
Chapter 12 Water Sports, Paddlesports, and water-based activities
Chapter 13 Rental Programs
Chapter 14 Insurance
$99.00 plus shipping
Artwork by Don Long donaldoelong@earthlink.net
New Book Aids Both CEOs and Students
Posted: November 14, 2018 Filed under: Adventure Travel, Assumption of the Risk, Camping, Case Analysis, Challenge or Ropes Course, Climbing, Climbing Wall, Contract, Cycling, Equine Activities (Horses, Donkeys, Mules) & Animals, First Aid, Good Samaritan Statutes, Insurance, James H. Moss, Jurisdiction and Venue (Forum Selection), Legal Case, Medical, Mountain Biking, Mountaineering, Negligence, Paddlesports, Recreational Use Statute, Release (pre-injury contract not to sue), Risk Management, Rivers and Waterways, Rock Climbing, Sea Kayaking, Ski Area, Ski Area Statutes, Skiing / Snow Boarding, Skydiving, Paragliding, Hang gliding, Swimming, Whitewater Rafting, Zip Line | Tags: and Law, Desk Reference, Insurance, Law, Outdoor Industry, Outdoor recreation, Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Outdoor Recreation Risk Management, Reference Book, Reward, Risk, Risk Management, ski area, Textbook, Whitewater Rafting Leave a comment“Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management, and Law” is a definitive guide to preventing and overcoming legal issues in the outdoor recreation industry
Denver based James H. Moss, JD, an attorney who specializes in the legal issues of outdoor recreation and adventure travel companies, guides, outfitters, and manufacturers, has written a comprehensive legal guidebook titled, “Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management, and Law”. Sagamore Publishing, a well-known Illinois-based educational publisher, distributes the book.
Mr. Moss, who applied his 30 years of experience with the legal, insurance, and risk management issues of the outdoor industry, wrote the book in order to fill a void.
“There was nothing out there that looked at case law and applied it to legal problems in outdoor recreation,” Moss explained. “The goal of this book is to provide sound advice based on past law and experience.”
The Reference book is sold via the Summit Magic Publishing, LLC.
While written as a college-level textbook, the guide also serves as a legal primer for executives, managers, and business owners in the field of outdoor recreation. It discusses how to tackle, prevent, and overcome legal issues in all areas of the industry.
The book is organized into 14 chapters that are easily accessed as standalone topics, or read through comprehensively. Specific topics include rental programs, statues that affect outdoor recreation, skiing and ski areas, and defenses to claims. Mr. Moss also incorporated listings of legal definitions, cases, and statutes, making the book easy for laypeople to understand.
PURCHASE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of Cases
Introduction
Outdoor Recreation Law and Insurance: Overview
Risk
Risk
Perception versus Actual Risk
Risk v. Reward
Risk Evaluation
Risk Management Strategies
Humans & Risk
Risk = Accidents
Accidents may/may not lead to litigation
How Do You Deal with Risk?
How Does Acceptance of Risk Convert to Litigation?
Negative Feelings against the Business
Risk, Accidents & Litigation
No Real Acceptance of the Risk
No Money to Pay Injury Bills
No Health Insurance
Insurance Company Subrogation
Negative Feelings
Litigation
Dealing with Different People
Dealing with Victims
Develop a Friend & Eliminate a Lawsuit
Don’t Compound Minor Problems into Major Lawsuits
Emergency Medical Services
Additional Causes of Lawsuits in Outdoor Recreation
Employees
How Do You Handle A Victim?
Dealing with Different People
Dealing with Victims
Legal System in the United States
Courts
State Court System
Federal Court System
Other Court Systems
Laws
Statutes
Parties to a Lawsuit
Attorneys
Trials
Law
Torts
Negligence
Duty
Breach of the Duty
Injury
Proximate Causation
Damages
Determination of Duty Owed
Duty of an Outfitter
Duty of a Guide
Duty of Livery Owner
Duty of Rental Agent
Duty of Volunteer Youth Leader
In Loco Parentis
Intentional Torts
Gross Negligence
Willful & Wanton Negligence
Intentional Negligence
Negligence Per Se
Strict Liability
Attractive Nuisance
Results of Acts That Are More than Ordinary Negligence
Product Liability
Contracts
Breach of Contract
Breach of Warranty
Express Warranty
Implied Warranty
Warranty of Fitness for a Particular Purpose
Warranty of Merchantability
Warranty of Statute
Detrimental Reliance
Unjust Enrichment
Liquor Liability
Food Service Liability
Damages
Compensatory Damages
Special Damages
Punitive Damages
Statutory Defenses
Skier Safety Acts
Whitewater Guides & Outfitters
Equine Liability Acts
Legal Defenses
Assumption of Risk
Express Assumption of Risk
Implied Assumption of Risk
Primary Assumption of Risk
Secondary Assumption of Risk
Contributory Negligence
Assumption of Risk & Minors
Inherent Dangers
Assumption of Risk Documents.
Assumption of Risk as a Defense.
Statutory Assumption of Risk
Express Assumption of Risk
Contributory Negligence
Joint and Several Liability
Release, Waivers & Contracts Not to Sue
Why do you need them
Exculpatory Agreements
Releases
Waivers
Covenants Not to sue
Who should be covered
What should be included
Negligence Clause
Jurisdiction & Venue Clause
Assumption of Risk
Other Clauses
Indemnification
Hold Harmless Agreement
Liquidated Damages
Previous Experience
Misc
Photography release
Video Disclaimer
Drug and/or Alcohol clause
Medical Transportation & Release
HIPAA
Problem Areas
What the Courts do not want to see
Statute of Limitations
Minors
Adults
Defenses Myths
Agreements to Participate
Parental Consent Agreements
Informed Consent Agreements
Certification
Accreditation
Standards, Guidelines & Protocols
License
Specific Occupational Risks
Personal Liability of Instructors, Teachers & Educators
College & University Issues
Animal Operations, Packers
Equine Activities
Canoe Livery Operations
Tube rentals
Downhill Skiing
Ski Rental Programs
Indoor Climbing Walls
Instructional Programs
Mountaineering
Retail Rental Programs
Rock Climbing
Tubing Hills
Whitewater Rafting
Risk Management Plan
Introduction for Risk Management Plans
What Is A Risk Management Plan?
What should be in a Risk Management Plan
Risk Management Plan Template
Ideas on Developing a Risk Management Plan
Preparing your Business for Unknown Disasters
Building Fire & Evacuation
Dealing with an Emergency
Insurance
Theory of Insurance
Insurance Companies
Deductibles
Self-Insured Retention
Personal v. Commercial Policies
Types of Policies
Automobile
Comprehension
Collision
Bodily Injury
Property Damage
Uninsured Motorist
Personal Injury Protection
Non-Owned Automobile
Hired Car
Fire Policy
Coverage
Liability
Named Peril v. All Risk
Commercial Policies
Underwriting
Exclusions
Special Endorsements
Rescue Reimbursement
Policy Procedures
Coverage’s
Agents
Brokers
General Agents
Captive Agents
Types of Policies
Claims Made
Occurrence
Claims
Federal and State Government Insurance Requirements
Bibliography
Index
The 427-page volume is sold via Summit Magic Publishing, LLC.
Ever Wonder what an EMT is Legally allowed to do versus a EMT-IV or Paramedic?
Posted: April 25, 2018 Filed under: Colorado, First Aid, Medical | Tags: AEMT, Emergency medical technician, EMT, EMT-IV, first aid, Intermediate, Paramedic Leave a commentWell Colorado created a great chart so you can understand it.
You can download your own copy of this chart here!
Wilderness Medical Society Trailblazer: If you work in Outdoor Recreation you should be a Member!
Posted: December 21, 2017 Filed under: First Aid, Medical | Tags: first aid, Leaches, Mt. Everest, Wilderness Medical Society, Wilderness Medicine, WMS Leave a comment
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State AED laws may create liability; make sure you understand what your state laws say. Florida, an AED law affecting high schools created liability for the HS.
Posted: December 19, 2016 Filed under: Case Analysis, First Aid, Florida, Good Samaritan Statutes, Medical, Sports, Statutes | Tags: #Soccer, AED, Automatic External Defibrillator, High School Team, Supervision, Use Leave a commentA Florida statute requiring schools to acquire and train all employees on the use of AED’s, created liability when the AED was not used.
State: Florida, Supreme Court of Florida
Plaintiff: Abel Limones, Sr., et al
Defendant: School District of Lee County et al.
Plaintiff Claims: Common Law negligence and breach of a duty required by statute, Florida Statute 1006.165
Defendant Defenses: No duty and Immune under 1006.165 and 768.1325
Holding: for the Plaintiff
Year: 2015
The deceased was a 15-year-old boy who played on a high school soccer team. While playing a high school soccer game he collapsed. His coach ran onto the field and started CPR and was assisted by two nurses who were sitting in the stands.
Allegedly, the coach asked several times for an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator). An AED was located in a storage are at the end of the field. However, no one ever retrieved the AED.
Ten minutes later, the fire department arrived and attempted to revive the student with their AED. That did not work. Twenty-six minutes later, an ambulance arrived and with the application of the ambulance AED and the application of drugs, EMS was able to restore the student’s heart rate.
The plaintiff’s expert witness testified that the 26 minutes without the use of the AED, not having a heartbeat, deprived the student of oxygen, which caused brain damage. The student was left in a persistent vegetative state.
The trial court granted the defendants motion for summary judgment. The plaintiff appealed and the Florida Appellate Court upheld the dismal by the trial court. The Florida Supreme Court then heard the appeal and issued this decision.
Analysis: making sense of the law based on these facts.
The Supreme Court of Florida first looked at basic negligence claims pursuant to Florida’s law. Florida’s law applies the same four steps to prove negligence as most other states.
We have long held that to succeed on a claim of negligence, a plaintiff must establish the four elements of duty, breach, proximate causation, and damages. Of these elements, only the existence of a duty is a legal question because duty is the standard to which the jury compares the conduct of the defendant.
A legal question is one that must be answered by the courts. So whether or not a duty existed, in proving negligence, is first reviewed by the trial judge. Factual questions are reviewed by the finder of fact, most commonly called the jury. Looking at the issue of duty, the court found under Florida Law, there were four sources of duty.
Florida law recognizes the following four sources of duty: (1) statutes or regulations; (2) common law interpretations of those statutes or regulations; (3) other sources in the common law; and (4) the general facts of the case.
Rarely do courts define how duties are created. Consequently, reviewing how a duty is created is interesting. The last way, general facts of the case, are how most duties are determined. The plaintiff argues there is a duty because of how others act or fail to act or based on the testimony from expert witnesses. Alternatively, an organization or trade association has published a list of the standards of care, which are then used to prove the duty failed.
The court then must examine if the minimum requirements for a duty have been met.
As in this case, when the source of the duty falls within the first three sources, the factual inquiry necessary to establish a duty is limited. The court must simply determine whether a statute, regulation, or the common law imposes a duty of care upon the defendant. The judicial determination of the existence of a duty is a minimal threshold that merely opens the courthouse doors.
In this case, the parties were relying on a statute; the Florida Statute that put AED’s in schools and required all school employees to be trained on their use, 768.1325. Once the court determines that a duty existed, then the jury must decide all other issues of the case.
Once a court has concluded that a duty exists, Florida law neither requires nor allows the court to further expand its consideration into how a reasonably prudent person would or should act under the circumstances as a matter of law. We have clearly stated that the remaining elements of negligence–breach, proximate causation, and damages–are to be resolved by the fact-finder.
The court then looked into the duty of schools with regard to students. A special relationship exists between a student (and their parents) and schools. A special relationship then takes the duty out from limited if any duty at all to a specific duty of care. Here that relationship creates a duty upon the school to act as a reasonable man would.
As a general principle, a party does not have a duty to take affirmative action to protect or aid another unless a special relationship exists which creates such a duty. When such a relationship exists, the law requires the party to act with reasonable care toward the person in need of protection or aid. As the Second District acknowledged below, Florida courts have recognized a special relationship between schools and their students based upon the fact that a school functions at least partially in the place of parents during the school day and school-sponsored activities.
The duty thus created or established requires a school to reasonably supervise students.
This special relationship requires a school to reasonably supervise its students during all activities that are subject to the control of the school, even if the activities occur beyond the boundaries of the school or involve adult students.
It should be noted, however, when referring to “school” in this manner; the courts are talking about public schools and students under the age of 18. Colleges have very different duties, especially outside of the classroom or off campus.
That supervision duty schools have, has five sub-elements or additional duties when dealing with student athletes.
Lower courts in Florida have recognized that the duty of supervision creates the following specific duties owed to student athletes: (1) schools must adequately instruct student athletes; (2) schools must provide proper equipment; (3) schools must reasonably match participants; (4) schools must adequately supervise athletic events; and (5) schools must take appropriate measures after a student is injured to prevent aggravation of the injury.
Here, several of the specific duties obviously could be applied to the case. Consequently, the court found the school owed a duty to the deceased.
Having determined the duty owed by the school to the deceased the court held that the school had a duty to the deceased that was breached. The use of an AED, required at the school by statute, was a reasonable duty owed to the deceased.
Therefore, we conclude that Respondent owed Abel a duty of supervision and to act with reasonable care under the circumstances; specifically, Respondent owed Abel a duty to take appropriate post-injury efforts to avoid or mitigate further aggravation of his injury. “Reasonable care under the circumstances” is a standard that may fluctuate with time, the student’s age and activity, the extent of the injury, the available responder(s), and other facts. Advancements with technology and equipment available today, such as a portable AED, to treat an injury were most probably unavailable twenty years ago, and may be obsolete twenty years from now.
The plaintiffs also argued there were additional duties owed based on the Florida School AED statute. However, the court declined to review this issue. Meaning, it is undecided and could go either way in the future.
The defendant then argued they were immune from suit based on the Florida AED Good Samaritan Act. The court then looked at the immunity statute set forth in the Florida School AED Statute. The Statute required schools to have AED’s and have to train all employees in the use of the AED. The court found that employees and volunteers could be covered under the Florida AED Good Samaritan Act. If they used the AED’s they would be immune from suit.
The court in reading the Florida AED Good Samaritan Act found two different groups of people were created by the act. However, only one was protected by the act and immune from suit. Those who use or attempt to use an AED are immune. Those that only acquire the AED, are not immune because they did not attempt to use the AED.
Users are clearly “immune from civil liability for any harm resulting from the use or attempted use” of an AED. § 768.1325(3), Fla. Stat. Additionally, acquirers are immune from “such liability,” meaning the “liability for any harm resulting from the use or attempted use” referenced in the prior sentence. Thus, acquirers are not immune due to the mere fact that they have purchased and made available an AED which has not been used; rather, they are entitled to immunity from the harm that may result only when an AED is actually used or attempted to be used.
That immunity only applied to the use of the AED. Here there was no use of the AED, so the statute did not provide any immunity.
It is undisputed that no actual or attempted use of an AED occurred in this case until emergency responders arrived. Therefore, we hold that Respondent is not entitled to immunity under section 768.1325 and such section has absolutely no application here.
The court summarized its analysis.
We hold that Respondent owed a common law duty to supervise Abel, and that once injured, Respondent owed a duty to take reasonable measures and come to his aid to prevent aggravation of his injury. It is a matter for the jury to determine under the evidence whether Respondent’s actions breached that duty and resulted in the damage that Abel suffered. We further hold Respondent is not entitled to immunity from suit under section 768.1325, Florida Statutes.
So Now What?
So in Florida, a statute that requires someone, such as a school to have AED’s then requires the school to use the AED’s and if they do not, they breach the common law duty of care to their students.
AED laws are going to become a carnival ride in attempting to understand and use them without creating liability or remaining immune from suit. You probably not only want to be on top of the law that is being passed in your state; you should probably go down and testify so the legislature in an attempt to save a life does not sink your business.
It is sad when a young man dies, especially, if he could have been saved. That issue is probably going to trial.
What do you think? Leave a comment.
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Author: Outdoor Recreation Insurance, Risk Management and Law
Copyright 2016 Recreation Law (720) Edit Law
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By Recreation Law Rec-law@recreation-law.com James H. Moss
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