Adds the doctrine of assumption of risk to the current comparative negligence statute.

Rhode Island Bill Summary: Assumption of Risk in Injury Lawsuits

This bill would add a legal concept called "assumption of risk" to Rhode Island's existing rules about who is responsible when someone gets hurt. Currently, Rhode Island uses a system called "comparative negligence," which means that when someone is injured, a court figures out how much each party involved was at fault and divides responsibility accordingly. This bill would formally include the idea that if a person knowingly and voluntarily chose to participate in a risky activity, that choice can be used as a factor — or potentially a complete defense — in determining whether they can recover money for their injuries.

In practical terms, this could affect everyday situations like sports injuries, recreational activities, or other situations where someone knowingly takes on a degree of danger. For example, if someone signs up for a contact sport or participates in an activity with obvious risks and gets hurt, a court could consider whether they understood and accepted those risks before deciding how much compensation, if any, they are owed. Businesses, event organizers, and individuals who are sued for injuries could potentially use this as a defense.

This bill would affect anyone involved in personal injury lawsuits in Rhode Island — including injured people seeking compensation, as well as businesses, property owners, or individuals being sued. Depending on how courts apply it, the law could make it harder for some injured people to receive full compensation if a judge or jury decides they knowingly accepted the risks involved. The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee, which has recommended holding it for further study, meaning no final decision has been made yet.