Jump to Section
Need help with a Release of Liability?
What is a Release of Liability?
A release of liability is a legal agreement between two parties in which one party waives the right to hold another party responsible for potential damages or injuries. When a party (the releasor) signs the waiver of liability, they are acknowledging that they understand the risks associated with an activity and will not sue the other party (the releasee) should an injury occur.
Other Names for a Release of Liability
- Waiver of Liability
- General Waiver
- Hold Harmless Agreement
- Liability Exemption
- Discharge of Liability
- Legal Release
- Exemption from responsibility
- Exemption of Liability
- Exoneration from Responsibility
- Exoneration of Liability
- Exculpatory Clause
- Conditional and Unconditional Waiver Form
- Liability Waiver Form
Here is an article about another type of release clause, an indemnification clause.
What’s Included in Release of Liability?
A release of liability can be formatted as either a stand-alone document or as a part of larger contract. The content of the waiver should be specific and customized to the situation for which it is being signed, but every general release form should contain the following key components:
Names and Addresses of Both Parties
It is important to make sure it is clear who the release applies to and which party is the releasor and which is the releasee. It is common to include a date in which the agreement is entered near the names of both parties.
Definition of Terms
A section defining words within the contract is helpful so both parties understand the meanings of all legal terms used. This avoids ambiguity or different interpretations of the contract.
Description of Possible Risks
It is important that the releasor is aware of the risks related to the activity and understands that by signing the waiver, they are now solely responsible for these risks.
Clear Statement of Release
A release of liability should include a statement that clearly articulates a statement of release. Below is an example of what a clear statement of release may look like:
“The undersigned hereby assumes all risk of injury or harm as a result of the activities specified above and agrees to release, indemnify, defend, and forever discharge the releasee from all liability, claims, demands, damages, costs, expenses, and causes of action due to death, injury, loss, or damage to the undersigned."
Signatures
Every waiver of liability needs to include a signature block where both parties can sign and date the document. Some waivers will also require a witness signature, a notary acknowledgement, or both.
Here is an article that further explains definition clauses .
See Release of Liability Pricing by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
When to Use a Release of Liability
A release of liability is appropriate anytime its possible a person could be sued should something go wrong during an action being taken. Most commonly, a waiver of liability is signed before participating in an activity that involves some type of risk. However, these waivers can be used in a variety of situations. The following examples are the most common:
Example 1: Activities that involve risk.
Signing a waiver to participate in a possibly dangerous activity is very common. Many people sign waivers to workout at gyms, play golf, rent a boat or other vehicle, go horseback riding, or to participate in local events sponsored by churches or other organizations.
Example 2: Photographic releases.
A photographic release of liability allows a photographer to use or publish your photograph. A photo is often used for the purpose of profit like in an advertisement.
Here is an article on Photography Contracts .
Example 3: Mechanic’s lien release.
A mechanic’s lien release is a waiver by which a contractor forfeits their right to impose a lien on a property.
Example 4: Information releases.
An information release allows a third party to release confidential medical, financial, employment, or other information.
Liability releases can also be a good idea to use in certain personal situations. If you loan your car or a piece of heavy equipment like a lawn mower to a friend or neighbor, you may want to execute a waiver that releases you from liability in the event someone else hurts themselves while using your property.
Babysitters or pet sitters may also want to legally protect themselves while performing their duties. In addition, if you hire someone to do work at your house, a liability release may be appropriate.
Here is an article that further explains release clauses.
Are Release of Liability Forms Legally Enforceable?
Although it is prudent to have a release of liability, these waivers are not guaranteed to be enforceable in every situation or case. The enforceability of your agreement will depend on your state’s laws surrounding liability releases, the contract itself, and the level of negligence that caused the damages or injury.
Situations When a Release is Usually Enforceable
A release of liability will generally be enforced by courts if the agreement meets the following criteria:
- The waiver contains proper language, is clear, easy to read, and unambiguous
- The release does not violate any states laws or public policy
- The injury that occurs is clearly described in the release and related to the activity
- The injury did not occur due to gross negligence on the part of the releasee
Image via Pexels by Pixabay
Situations When a Release is Not Upheld
In most states, a release of liability cannot protect the releasee from their own acts of negligence or from gross negligence. It is important for people or businesses to be able to limit their liability, however, the public is entitled to be protected from negligent acts.
For example , if a gym knowingly provides faulty equipment, they should not be absolved of liability when a customer is injured because the gym’s conduct was grossly negligent. In addition, if the injury occurred due to intentional acts, the waiver would not be enforceable.
Some states have statutes that limit the use of liability releases for certain activities. If an activity is inherently dangerous, the court may not recognize the release because the defendant is responsible for making sure the activity is safe.
For example , most states will not allow the use of waivers by a construction company for their employees. Employees are entitled to be protected while working dangerous jobs.
If a release is unclear, ambiguous, or difficult to read, a court may not uphold the waiver. A release of liability should be easy to understand for a person not trained in law. If you are signing a document waiving rights, you should be fully informed and understand what it is you are signing.
The type of negligence that occurs may also play a role in whether a waiver is upheld in court. Some releases cite coverage for specific acts of negligence. If an injury occurs due to negligence not covered in the release of liability, a court may not enforce the waiver.
It is important to remember that even if a release of liability is signed, under certain situations, an injured party may still be able to sue for damages. Courts in most states heavily scrutinize waivers so it is important if you are using a waiver of liability that it meets your state’s regulations.
Click here to read more about waivers.
Get Help with a Release of Liability
Do you have questions about releases of liability and want to speak to an expert? Post a project today on ContractsCounsel and receive bids from lawyers who specialize in Release of Liability contracts. They will help you understand the benefits and risks, and what these contracts protect you from.
Meet some of our Release of Liability Lawyers
Ramanathan C.
Dual Qualified New York Attorney & Enrolled NZ Barrister & Solicitor
November 8, 2021
Jessica P.
Ms. Penovich partners with clients to overcome complex challenges and find innovative solutions. Ms. Penovich has served as General Counsel at J.W. Cole and an Adjunct Professor of Estate Planning at the MUMA College of Business at the University of South Florida. She is a member of the Florida Bar, and has over 15 years of progressive financial services experience developed at top-tier financial firms including Transamerica, Raymond James, and Citi.
November 9, 2021
Josiah Y.
Attorney licensed to practice in both California and New York, Josiah is focused on helping people understand what's in their contracts, and do business with confidence.
November 12, 2021
Natalie A.
I am an experienced in house counsel and have worked in the pharmaceutical, consumer goods and restaurant industry. I have experience with a variety of agreements, below is a non-exhaustive list of types of agreements I can help with: Supply Agreements Distribution Agreements Manufacture Agreements Service Agreements Employment Agreements Consulting Agreements Commercial and residential lease agreements Non-compete Agreements Confidentiality and Non-Disclosure Agreements Demand Letters Termination notice Notice of breach of contract My experience as in house counsel has exposed me to a wide variety of commercial matters for which I can provide consulting and assistance on. I have advised US, Canadian and International entities on cross-functional matters and have guided them when they are in different countries and jurisdictions as their counterparties. I can provide assistance early on in a business discussion to help guide you and make sure you ask the right questions even before the commercial agreement needs to be negotiated, but if you are ready to put a contract in place I can most definitely help with that too.
November 16, 2021
Jeff C.
Jeff Colerick has been practicing law for over 30 years and has devoted his professional career to providing clients with intelligent representation and personal care. His experience as a lawyer involving complex matters has resulted in a long history of success. Jeff has built a practice based on a deep understanding of real estate assets and corporate activities. He combines his industry knowledge with a practical and collaborative approach to problem solving. Jeff’s client relationships are strong because they are built on mutual respect. Jeff talks the language of real estate and understands that it is a vehicle to deliver your business strategy. Jeff provides practical, responsive, and strategic advice related to real estate acquisition, construction, leasing, and sale of a wide range of real property types, including office, retail, medical, industrial, industrial flex-space, mixed-use condominium, multifamily and hospitality. As leader of the Goodspeed Merrill real estate practice group, Jeff represents clients with commercial and residential transactions, purchases and sales, land acquisition and development, real estate investment and financing, financing liens and security interests, and commercial leasing and lease maintenance, including lease enforcement support and advice. The firm represents clients in matters concerning construction, lending, developers, contractors and subcontractors, cell site leasing, property and boundary disputes, common interest community law, and residential condominiums and planned communities.
November 16, 2021
Chia-Fen Y.
Attorney Yu represents clients in business and real estate transactions and has successfully handled more than 200 cases. She has experience in corporate law, including forming legal entities, employment law and workers’ compensation law matters pertaining to wage and hour violations, industrial injuries, misclassifications, and other employment-related torts and contracts. Attorney Yu works with employers to address employee relationship issues, develop effective policies and craft employment agreements. Attorney Yu regularly advises clients on the legal and business aspects of potential investments, ongoing business operations, debt collections, shareholders and partners disputes, business purchase agreements, risk assessment, intellectual property disputes, and potential contract disputes. She regularly handles real estate law matters such as landlord-tenant disputes, lease agreements, buy-sell disputes, title disputes, and construction disputes. She also has substantial experience settling debts, and she drafts, reviews and negotiates settlement agreements. Attorney Yu conducts extensive legal research and provides on-point legal advice to both corporate and individual clients.
November 16, 2021
Harrison K.
Harrison Kordestani is an executive with over twenty-five years experience in entertainment and media, energy, technologies, and start-ups. Mr. Kordestani has also developed a specialized legal and strategic consulting practice representing select entertainment, oil and gas, mortgage lending, and technology start-up clientele. He is also deeply passionate about new technologies and has also actively worked in building companies in the video-on-demand, wearable tech, information of things, demand prediction and app-marketing spaces. As an attorney, Mr. Kordestani's focus has been on transactional drafting and negotiation and providing ongoing legal counsel, corporate compliance, and contract interpretation to numerous private individuals as well as companies in varied fields.
Find the best lawyer for your project
Browse Lawyers NowBusiness lawyers by top cities
See All Business LaywersRelease of Liability lawyers by city
See All Release of Liability Laywers
ContractsCounsel User
Employment Contracts
Location: Texas
Turnaround: Over a week
Service: Contract Review
Doc Type: Release of Liability
Page Count: 1-5
Number of Bids: 5
Bid Range: $390 - $850
User Feedback:
ContractsCounsel User