Woman sues Dolphins over slippery floor

[jayr]

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/08/dolphins-blamed-in-suit-against-brookfield-zoo.html

Dolphins blamed in suit against Brookfield Zoo

August 19, 2009

A woman has sued the Brookfield Zoo in a slip and fall case that she claims started with the dolphins.

Allecyn Edwards contends the zoo "recklessly and willfully trained and encouraged the dolphins to throw water at the spectators in the stands making the floor wet and slippery."

Edwards says she suffered injuries when she fell on the wet floor.

[StoneMtn]

Volenti non fit injuria.

[skelter]

(Latin: "to a willing person, no injury is done" or "no injury is done to a person who consents")

[skelter]

i had to look it up for myself, thought it prudent to share with the rest.

[StoneMtn]

Yep. That's the direct translation. It means, really, "voluntary assumption of risk", the point being that if you voluntarily go somewhere with the expectation that certain things will happen, and then those things happen causing you injury, you cannot then foist liability upon someone else, as you went in with your eyes open. The point is not that you can't be injured, but you voluntarily assumed the risk of injury.

The most obvious example is a consensual fist-fight. If you agree to fight, willingly, you cannot later sue someone because he hit you and you were injured. (Of course, you get to argue that he did something you never anticipated - or the dolphins did - but that's the point.)