Squires v. Breckenridge Outdoor Educ. Ctr.

• Decision Date: 07 May 2013
• Docket Number: No. 12–1199.,12–1199.
• Parties: Kimberly N. SQUIRES, Plaintiff–Appellant, v. BRECKENRIDGE OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER, Defendant–Appellee.
• Court: U.S. Court of Appeals — Tenth Circuit

715 F.3d 867

Kimberly N. SQUIRES, Plaintiff–Appellant,

v.BRECKENRIDGE OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER, Defendant–Appellee.

No. 12–1199.

United States Court of Appeals,Tenth Circuit.

May 7, 2013.

Michael A. Sink of Perkins Coie LLP, Denver, CO (Robert N. Miller and Stephanie E. Dunn of Perkins Coie LLP, Denver, CO; Gregory A. Gold of The Gold Law Firm, LLC, Greenwood Village, CO; and T. Thomas Metier of Metier Law Firm, LLC, Fort Collins, CO, with him on the brief), for Plaintiff–Appellant.

David Werber (John W. Grund, Deana R. Dagner, and Joan S. Allgaier on the brief) of Grund • Dagner, P.C., Denver, CO, for Defendant–Appellee.

Before HARTZ, McKAY, and O'BRIEN, Circuit Judges.

McKAY, Circuit Judge.

Plaintiff Kimberly Squires filed this diversity action against Defendant Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center asserting claims for negligence and gross negligence following a ski accident in which she was injured. The magistrate judge granted Defendant's motion for summary judgment in part, concluding Plaintiff's mother, Sara Squires, had validly released any claim for negligence against Defendant by signing an acknowledgment of risk and release of liability. Plaintiff now appeals, arguing summary judgment was inappropriate because the Release is unenforceable for three reasons: (1) the Release is as an invalid exculpatory agreement; (2) Mrs. Squires's decision to sign the Release was not voluntary and informed, as required by Colorado Revised Statute Section 13–22–107; and (3) to the extent the Release is otherwise enforceable, it is nevertheless voidable because it was procured through fraud.

Background

In 2008, Plaintiff, a legally blind child with cerebral palsy and cognitive delays, was severely injured while skiing at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado. Plaintiff was in Breckenridge on a ski trip with the group Camp Fire USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing children, including children with disabilities, with opportunities and experiences for growth. Camp Fire USA had contracted with Defendant for a five-day wilderness program that included skiing, a ropes course, and snow tubing.

Before the trip, Defendant sent documents regarding the trip to Camp Fire USA, which in turn circulated them to the participants' parents, including Mrs. Squires. The documents included a “Letter to Students, Parents and Guardians” (App. at 209 (capitalization omitted)) with an accompanying “Acknowledg[ ]ment of Risk & Release of Liability” (App. at 210 (capitalization omitted)). ¹ The Letter states, in pertinent part:

LETTER TO STUDENTS, PARENTS AND GUARDIANS

Greetings from Breckenridge! The BOEC staff looks forward to having you, your child or your family member join us on a course and would like to share the following information about who we are, what we do and the risks involved.

The Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center (BOEC), a non-profit organization in operation since 1976, provides outdoor adventure programs for people of all abilities. We offer programs for groups and individuals. All courses are tailored to the specific goals and abilities of our students.

....

All of our activities are conducted in a manner consistent with the highest standards, as defined by the Association for Experiential Education (AEE). The BOEC is accredited by AEE, who independently reviews the policies, practices and educational components of applicant organizations and accredits those that meet their high standards. All activities offered are designed to pose appropriate challenges for students. These challenges provide a medium for adventure, learning and personal growth. Your ski lesson or course will involve risk, which may be greater than most people encounter in their daily lives. Providing high quality programs in a risk-managed environment is a priority at the BOEC. It is, however, impossible to eliminate all risks. It is very important that you follow all directions given by staff and that you ask questions whenever a procedure or activity is unclear to you.

While the BOEC maintains rigorous standards, it is in everyone's best interest that risks are disclosed, understood, and assumed prior to participation. After you have reviewed the acknowledg[ ]ment of risk and waiver of liability on the reverse side of this letter and if you understand and agree with its contents, please sign in the appropriate places. If you are the parent or legal guardian of a student, please read both sides of this document to the student, and if you both agree and understand their content, place YOUR signature in the three appropriate places.

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us. We welcome your suggestions and feedback.

(App. at 209.)

The accompanying Release provides:

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RISK AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY (REQUIRED)

In consideration of being allowed to participate in any way in Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center (BOEC) programs, and related events and activities ... I, and/or the minor student, ... the undersigned:

1. Understand that although the BOEC has taken precautions to provide proper organization, supervision, instruction and equipment for each course, it is impossible for the BOEC to guarantee absolute safety. Also, I understand that I share the responsibility for safety during all activities, and I assume that responsibility. I will make my instructors aware to the best of my ability of any questions or concerns regarding my understanding of safety standards, guidelines, procedures and my ability to participate at any point during any activity.

2. Understand that risks during outdoor programs include but are not limited to loss or damage to personal property, injury, permanent disability, fatality, exposure to inclement weather, slipping, falling, insect or animal bites, being struck by falling objects, immersion in cold water, hypothermia (cold exposure), hyperthermia (heat exposure), and severe social or economic losses that may result from any such incident. I also understand that such accidents or illnesses may occur in remote areas without easy access to medical facilities or while traveling to and from the activity sites. Further, there may be other risks not known to me or not reasonably foreseeable at this time.

3. Agree that prior to participation, I will inspect, to the best of my ability, the facilities and equipment to be used. If I believe anything is unsafe, I will immediately advise the BOEC staff present of such condition and refuse to participate.

4. Assume all the foregoing risks and accept personal responsibility for the damages due to such injury, permanent disability or death resulting from participating in any BOEC activity.

I hereby release the BOEC, its successors, representatives, assigns, and employees from any and all claims, demands, and causes of action, whether resulting from negligence or otherwise, of every nature and in conjunction with a BOEC activity.

(App. at 210.)

Plaintiff and her mother signed the Release on January 13, 2008. On that date, Mrs. Squires was admittedly aware that her daughter's trip to Breckenridge and participation in Defendant's program would include skiing, although she claims she was unaware of the precise equipment and methods her daughter would be using. Once in Breckenridge, Plaintiff was paired with a BOEC instructor and equipped with a bi-ski. On the second run of the first day of skiing, Plaintiff was injured when another, unrelated, skier lost control and skied into the tethers connecting Plaintiff and her instructor. The force of the collision caused the instructor to lose control of the tethers, and Plaintiff continued unrestrained down the trail and into a group of trees. She was injured when her bi-ski collided with a tree.

Following the accident, Plaintiff filed this action claiming Defendant's negligence and gross negligence caused her injuries. Defendant moved for summary judgment, arguing the Release barred Plaintiff's negligence claim and there was no evidence to support her gross negligence claim. The magistrate judge granted summary judgment in favor of Defendant on Plaintiff's negligence claim, concluding Plaintiff's mother had executed an enforceable exculpatory agreement that clearly and unambiguously expressed the parties' intent to extinguish Defendant's liability, and her decision to do so was voluntary and informed. The magistrate judge, however, denied Defendant's motion on Plaintiff's gross negligence claim. This claim proceeded to a jury, which found Defendant not liable. Plaintiff now appeals the grant of summary judgment on her negligence claim.

Discussion

“We review a district court's decision to grant summary judgment de novo, applying the same standard as the district court.” Lundstrom v. Romero, 616 F.3d 1108, 1118 (10th Cir.2010) (internal quotation marks omitted). Summary judgment is appropriate if “there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.” Fed.R.Civ.P. 56(a). Colorado law applies in this diversity case.

I. Enforceability of the Release

Plaintiff argues the Release is unenforceable and, therefore, does not bar her negligence claim. She reasons that the Release is invalid under the four-part test articulated in Jones v. Dressel, 623 P.2d 370 (Colo.1981), and that her mother did not make an informed decision, as required by Colorado Revised Statute Section 13–22–107.

A. Validity Under Jones

In Colorado, “[a]greements attempting to exculpate a party from that party's own negligence have long been disfavored.” Heil Valley Ranch, Inc. v. Simkin, 784 P.2d 781, 783 (Colo.1989). However, “[e]xculpatory agreements are not necessarily void.” Id. at 784. In determining whether an exculpatory agreement is valid, Colorado courts consider four factors: “(1) the existence of a duty to the public; (2) the nature of the service performed; (3) whether the contract was fairly entered into; and (4) whether the intention of the...