Legal Liability in Recreation, Sports, & Tourism

By: John O. Spengler

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Synopsis: The subject of legal liability conjures up thoughts of high costs, fiscal devasta¬tion, difficult legal language, attorneys, myriad legal papers, and time-consuming litigation. People generally fear those things that they don’t understand. The major purpose of this book is to provide recreation and sports students, practitioners, and professionals in the field with a body of knowledge that will help them manage the legal risks that are an everyday part of their lives. In the past, the field of recreation appeared to be sacrosanct when it came to people wanting to sue for damages. Prior to 50 years ago, when lawsuits were filed, the courts considered leisure pursuits as frivolous, and therefore counter to the good of society. The social structure and so-called “Protestant ethic” of the time called for hard work, not recreation. Only the very rich were privileged to have “leisure time.” In the past decades, the average citizens opportunity for leisure has increased significantly, and so has the extent of recreation, sport, and tourism litigation. Times have indeed changed!