WeConservePA recently published new guidance on protection from liability related to public access as well as released new editions of several additional guides and model documents on reducing liability related to personal injury.
NEW Guide
WeConservePA has added a seventh guide to its collection of resources regarding the management of liability. The 6-page Statutory Protection from Liability Related to Public Access: Pennsylvania Law Supports Opening Land to the Public is now available at the WeConservePA Library. From the guide’s description:
Public access to land for recreational use raises concern about the possibility of visitor injuries and the potential for the owners or managers of the land to then be held liable. Several Pennsylvania statutes provide overlapping layers of protection from such liability.
Refreshed Guides and Model Documents
Model Release of Liability Form
A properly designed release of liability form signed by a volunteer or participant in an activity can reduce liability risks of the organizing or hosting organization. WeConservePA has updated its model release form. (The previous edition is still quite good, but this version makes tweaks to ensure that it is absolutely the most effective document possible.)
Release of Liability Form: A Tool to Reduce the Risk of Claims for Personal Injury or Property Loss
WeConservePA has also updated the companion guide, Release of Liability Form: A Tool to Reduce the Risk of Claims for Personal Injury or Property Loss, which both explains how releases work and serves as a commentary to the model form, including providing optional additional terms for the model.
Reducing Liability Associated with Public Access
WeConservePA has refreshed its 7-page introductory guide to this subject, Reducing Liability Associated with Public Access, which was first published in 2011. From the description:
Public access to land for hiking, bird watching, hunting, and other recreational activities raises the possibility of a visitor getting injured and for the owners or managers of the land to then be held liable. Landowners and public access easement and lease holders can take practical steps to minimize the risk of liability.
Review other guidance available in the Managing Liability section of the WeConservePA Library.