Some after-prom parties require liability waivers
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In some areas of the country, teens who want to attend a post-prom party can’t go unless their parents sign a liability waiver.
The New York Times has a story on the phenomenon. “In some affluent cities and suburbs,” the story says, “the post-party legal liability waiver is joining the corsage and limousine in the prom panoply.”
Parents hosting the party, which is often held to keep teens off the road, send out the request for signed waivers. Lawyers who spoke with the Times said that, despite the effort, the documents are probably unenforceable.
In Los Angeles, lawyer Adam Wergeles refused to sign the liability waiver for his 17-year-old daughter until he spent hours editing the document. Some words were crossed out, new ones were added, and notations were made in the margins. Wergeles even consulted another lawyer about the document.
Wergeles’ daughter, Emma, was allowed to attend despite the changes. “It was frustrating,” she told the Times. “For the past few years, everyone received a liability form for after-prom parties. I’m sure the other parents signed it and went on with their day.”
