Georgia residents should know that skateboarding laws vary by city. Some local laws will group skateboarders with bicyclists, roller bladers and other pedestrians while others will specifically prohibit them from, say, skateboarding down a sidewalk or bike lane. Laws also determine the minimum age for skateboarding as well as the times and manner that skateboarders can engage in this activity.
Skateboarders often perform dangerous tricks, ignore stop signs and speed limits and ride in the way of vehicles, increasing their risk for injuries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission states that more than 25,000 people a year are sent to the emergency room with skateboarding-related injuries. The majority of these people are under the age of 15.
This is where correct signage can help property owners prevent injuries and, with them, liability claims. Owners can be held liable for any injuries that are foreseeable, such as those incurred by invitees. Properties that are tempting to skateboarders but have no signage forbidding them can be considered the site of foreseeable injuries.
In addition, owners with signage can prevent instances of property damage. Skateboarders could damage benches, handrails and cement structures, among other things, when performing their tricks. With the development of municipally funded skate parks, owners can feel more secure that skateboarders will not frequent their own property as much.
Those who are injured while skateboarding may want to see a lawyer before they file a premises liability claim. Plaintiffs must show that the property owner had a duty of care to them either as an invitee or licensee and that the owner breached that duty. Skateboard ramps are considered “attractive nuisances,” so even trespassers might be eligible for compensation under the attractive nuisance rule. Whatever the situation, the lawyer may help handle all negotiations for a settlement.
