Plaintiff Assumed the Risk of Injury in Martial Arts Class
In reversing Supreme Court, the First Department determined the defendant, which conducted a mixed martial arts class, was entitled to summary judgment, based on the assumption-of-risk doctrine, in an action brought by a participant in the class injured when sparring with another “stockier” student. The First Department explained the relevant legal principles:
It is well established that the doctrine of assumption of risk generally applies where the plaintiff is injured while voluntarily participating in a sport or recreational activity, and the injury causing event is a “known, apparent or reasonably foreseeable consequence of the participation” … . The participant engaging in a sport or recreational activity “consents to those commonly appreciated risks which are inherent in and arise out of the nature of the sport generally and flow from such participation” … . Further, the assumption of risk doctrine considers the appreciation of risk measured “against the background of the skill and experience of the particular plaintiff” … . Tadmor v New York Jiu Jitsu Inc, 2013 NY Slip Op 05721, 1st Dept 8-27-13