Personal Injury Law

RAGBRAI - Right to make a buck without corresponding liability

By Steve Lombardi

Iowa news reports that Iowa counties don't want RAGBRAI coming through their counties if they will have to be financially responsible for the risk of injury to the participants.

"RAGBRAI organizers stayed clear of Crawford County. Last year, county supervisors there banned RAGBRAI from using its roads. The ban followed a deadly crash in the county involving a RAGBRAI rider in 2004.
Kirk Ullrich was killed in the crash. His family sued Crawford County, alleging roads were not properly maintained. The county eventually settled the lawsuit and paid $350,000.

After that, supervisors banned RAGBRAI from riding through, saying the county couldn't afford another lawsuit. Officials with the Iowa State Association of Counties say the state legislature needs to step in to protect counties from future lawsuits."

What everyone must keep in mind is the waiver, the one that Ullrich did not sign.

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on March 28, 2008 (boomark / email).