(a)        Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, an agritourism professional is not liable for injury to or death of a participant resulting from the inherent risks of agritourism activities, so long as the warning contained in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 99E-32 is posted as required and, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no participant or participant’s representative can maintain an action against or recover from an agritourism professional for injury, loss, damage, or death of the participant resulting exclusively from any of the inherent risks of agritourism activities. In any action for damages against an agritourism professional for agritourism activity, the agritourism professional must plead the affirmative defense of assumption of the risk of agritourism activity by the participant.

(b)        Nothing in subsection (a) of this section prevents or limits the liability of an agritourism professional if the agritourism professional does any one or more of the following:

(1)        Commits an act or omission that constitutes willful or wanton disregard for the safety of the participant, and that act or omission proximately causes injury, damage, or death to the participant.

(2)        Has actual knowledge or reasonably should have known of an existing dangerous condition on the land, facilities, or equipment used in the activity or the dangerous propensity of a particular animal used in such activity and does not make the danger known to the participant, and the danger proximately causes injury, damage, or death to the participant.

(c)        Nothing in subsection (a) of this section prevents or limits the liability of an agritourism professional under liability provisions as set forth in Chapter 99B of the N.C. Gen. Stat..

(d)       Any limitation on legal liability afforded by this section to an agritourism professional is in addition to any other limitations of legal liability otherwise provided by law. ?(2005-236, s. 1; 2013-265, s. 4.)

Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 99E-31

  • Agritourism activity: includes an activity involving any animal exhibition at an agricultural fair licensed by the Commissioner of Agriculture pursuant to N. See North Carolina General Statutes 99E-30
  • Agritourism professional: Any person who is engaged in the business of providing one or more agritourism activities, whether or not for compensation. See North Carolina General Statutes 99E-30
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • Participant: Any person, other than the agritourism professional, who engages in an agritourism activity. See North Carolina General Statutes 99E-30