School Permission Slip Waiver

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - You leave one four-year-old child at a field trip and suddenly YOU'RE the bad guy. Yeah, it happened last month at an Ohio preschool's field trip. No harm was done and the bus turned around and picked up the forgotten child. But kinda makes you wonder: do those permission slips you sign mean you can't sue the school? Really?

You hardly give it a second thought when you're asked to sign field trip permission slips. But in general, if you give the school permission to take your child on a field trip, you do waive rights to file lawsuits or say that the trip was inappropriate. That said, there are some things which courts will not allow a waiver to prevent lawsuits, like illegal acts, liability from malpractice and intentional torts.

And, just because you can't sue the school doesn't mean you can't sue the facility if the injury was a result of their failure to maintain their property. But, before just signing your name, read the permission slip and ask questions like: could there be any harm if I let my kid go to a bungee jumping outing or field trip to the medical waste disposal plant?