Q: Is a liability waiver enough to protect my event organizers and me for the events we organize for free for a community?
Hello,
I organize weekly events for free for a group of French speakers around San Francisco, California.
we do bars, restaurants, hikes, city tours, wine tastings, and more.
We are currently just a group on a site called meetup.com and do not have a legal entity.
Yet, we now have 2,400 members and organize more complicated events, and do events more frequently.
So, I would like to make sure that my event organizers and myself are protected from lawsuits/damages/... in case something goes wrong in an event.
May you help me understand if signed waivers are enough?
Or if I should create a legal entity, and if so, which type?
Thanks,
Pierre
Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
- California
- (916) 704-3009
- View Profile
- Answered
A:
While liability waivers provide some protection, they alone may not fully shield you and your organizers from potential legal issues, especially with such a large group participating in diverse activities.
Given the scope of your activities and member count, forming a legal entity like a non-profit corporation or LLC would offer stronger protection by separating your personal assets from the organization's liabilities. This structure could also help with insurance coverage, which is crucial for activities like hiking and wine tasting that carry inherent risks.
Your best course of action would be to consult with a business attorney who can help you set up the appropriate legal entity and draft comprehensive waivers tailored to your specific activities. The attorney can also guide you through obtaining proper insurance coverage and establishing safety protocols to minimize risk for both organizers and participants in your French-speaking community events.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
