Is there liability if a drunken volunteer gets injured on your posted property?
Question Details:
I put on a haunted house at my parents farm. This year one of my volunteer workers was injured during the haunt. He was intoxicated. Now he is asking for money to help cover a surgery. We had disclaimers posted around the haunt saying that neither myself or the homeowner was responsible for any injuries. Are we liable? We did not have any event insurance but my parents do have homeowner insurance. I don't want it to come to that.
Merely posting signs may not be enough of a disclaimer to place the volunteers on notice that you are not going to cover injuries. in this case, the fact that the person was drunk plays a major role in determining your liability. owners of property are not libale for injuries to people on thier property unless they permit an unreasonably dangerous condition to be on the property and there is not sufficient notice of the unreasonably dangerous activity. i suggest that you deny the claim and let them know that they contributed to their own injury and that even if they sue, the person was drunk and his drinking will negate any claim of negligence on your part. Worst case, you need to send this claim to the homeowner's carrier.
