Skip to main content
Find a Lawyer
Please enter a legal issue and/or a location
Begin typing to search, use arrow keys to navigate, use enter to select
FindLaw Legal Dictionary

The FindLaw Legal Dictionary -- free access to over 8260 definitions of legal terms. Search for a definition or browse our legal glossaries.

term:

Assumption Of Risk

assumption of risk

:a doctrine that a person may in advance relieve another person of the obligation to act towards him or her with due care and may accept the chance of being injured
;also
: an affirmative defense that the plaintiff cannot receive compensation for injuries from the defendant because the plaintiff freely and knowingly assumed the risk of injury and relieved the defendant of the obligation to act with reasonable care compare contributory negligence at negligence, volenti non fit injuria NOTE: Assumption of risk may be express or may be implied from the plaintiff's words and actions. Assumption of risk has been abolished in certain types of cases, such as workers' compensation cases.



Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.

Copied to clipboard

Find a Lawyer

More Options