OLIVIA WHITCROFT: "We're often asked to sign up to crazy liability terms in the tech world"

An invitation to a child's birthday party makes Olivia consider being a party-pooper over the liability terms she has to sign

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My daughter is excited to go to a birthday party this month, being held at an activity centre. All parents have been sent a link to a waiver that we need to sign for our children to participate. Parents are responding one by one: “Signed it.” I am just opening it up.

First line: “I accept that there is... danger and risk of physical or emotional injury, paralysis, death, or damage to participants.”

Just what every mother wants to hear.

Next paragraph: “Activities are undertaken at the participant’s own risk and I will not hold the venue liable for any injury the participant may suffer.”

Tough luck for us if any of their equipment is faulty.

There’s more: “I will indemnify the venue against any claim... for loss, damage, injury or death which has been caused by any action or omission of any participant.”

To summarise: it’s all on us if something goes wrong.

I can’t think of anything I want to sign less. But am I going to be the parent who doesn’t let their child attend a friend’s party because she refuses to sign the waiver? Or the lawyer who delays anyone being able to take part while I’m demanding to speak to the person who drafted it to discuss amendments?

As with other similar venues, we are presented with something that is scary to read, lengthy and hard to understand, and unlikely to be fully read by many. And yet everyone signs them in a hurry so that the fun can commence.

Couldn’t these things be a bit more parent-friendly? Personal injury is not one of my legal specialisms, but how about:

a) Services agreement: “The Customer will not make any claim against the Supplier... unless the loss or damage arises from gross negligence or wilful misconduct.” So it’s tough luck if the supplier is only slightly negligent and causes my system to explode?