Key point 10-16.2. Adults who voluntarily expose themselves to a known risk created by a church program or activity generally cannot sue the church if they are injured as a result of that risk.
A New Jersey court ruled that a church was not liable for injuries sustained by a member while engaged in a game of tug of war during a church-sponsored picnic, because the member assumed the risk of injuries that were "common, frequent, expected and inherent in the activity itself."
A church member (the "plaintiff") was injured when he voluntarily engaged in a game of tug of war during a church picnic at a public park. The plaintiff claimed that he sustained injuries as a result of the opposing tug-of-war team pulling and releasing the rope too early, which caused team members to collide. The plaintiff claimed that the church's pastor, who was watching the contest, "changed ...
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