Virginia Code 3.2-6301: Liability limited; liability actions prohibited
A. Except as provided in § 3.2-6302, an ox activity sponsor or an ox professional shall not be liable for an injury to or death of a participant engaged in an ox activity.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 3.2-6301
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- in writing: include any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic or other medium and retrievable in a perceivable form and whether an electronic signature authorized by Chapter 42. See Virginia Code 1-257
- Ox activity: means : (i) ox shows, fairs, competitions, rodeos, pulling, driving, performances, or parades; (ii) ox training or teaching activities; (iii) boarding oxen; (iv) riding, inspecting, or evaluating an ox belonging to another whether or not the owner has received some monetary consideration or other thing of value for the use of the ox or is permitting a prospective purchaser of the ox to ride, inspect, or evaluate the ox; and (v) rides, trips or other ox activities of any type however informal or impromptu that are sponsored by an ox activity sponsor. See Virginia Code 3.2-6300
- Ox activity sponsor: means any person or his agent who, for profit or not for profit, sponsors, organizes, or provides the facilities for an ox activity, including 4-H clubs, riding clubs, school-sponsored and college-sponsored classes and programs, therapeutic riding programs, and operators, instructors, and promoters of ox facilities, including stables, fairs, and arenas where the activity is held. See Virginia Code 3.2-6300
- Ox professional: means a person or his agent engaged for compensation in: (i) instructing a participant or renting to a participant an ox for the purpose of riding, driving, or being a passenger upon an ox; or (ii) renting equipment or tack to a participant. See Virginia Code 3.2-6300
- Participant: means any person, whether amateur or professional, who directly engages in an ox activity, whether or not a fee is paid to participate in the ox activity. See Virginia Code 3.2-6300
B. Except as provided in § 3.2-6302, no participant or parent or guardian of a participant who has knowingly executed a waiver of his rights to sue or agrees to assume all risks specifically enumerated under this subsection may maintain an action against or recover from an ox activity sponsor or an ox professional for an injury to or the death of a participant engaged in an ox activity. The waiver shall give notice to the participant of the risks inherent in ox activities, including: (i) the propensity of an ox to behave in dangerous ways that may result in injury to the participant; (ii) the inability to predict an ox’s reaction to sound, movements, objects, persons, or animals; and (iii) hazards of surface or subsurface conditions. The waiver shall remain valid unless expressly revoked by the participant or parent or guardian of a minor. In the case of school-sponsored and college-sponsored classes and programs, waivers executed by a participant or parent or guardian of a participant shall apply to all ox activities in which the participant is involved in the next succeeding 12-month period unless earlier expressly revoked in writing.