Hamill v. CHELEY COLORADO CAMPS, INC.
Colorado Court of Appeals · 2011-03-31 · cited 27×
In Hamill v. Cheley Colorado Camps, Inc., a minor who attended summer camp and was injured when she fell from a horse sued the camp for negligence and gross negligence, alleging that a wrangler had improperly saddled the horse. The district court granted summary judgment to the camp, and the Colorado Court of Appeals affirmed. The court held that the exculpatory agreement signed by the plaintiff's mother was valid under the four-factor Jones test, that the mother's decision was voluntary and informed under C.R.S. § 13-22-107, and that the record contained no evidence of gross negligence or recklessness by the camp's staff. The agreement's release language expressly waived claims for negligence on behalf of the child, and undisputed facts showed that wranglers had checked and adjusted the saddle multiple times before the ride.