My high school football coach loved to yell at us: “Keep your head on a swivel!” That meant, of course, to stay alert so that you did not miss anything approaching you from a blind spot. For those of us who attend Mardi Gras parades, we know how it feels to have beads and other “throws” flying through the air into a crowd of people who may—or may not—be ready for it.
Unfortunately, sometimes those “throws” can strike and hurt parade-goers. In balancing our Mardi Gras traditions with the risk for injury, the Louisiana legislature enacted a statute which makes Mardi Gras Krewes and their members immune from liability for these types of injuries unless the injury was caused by the deliberate and wanton act or gross negligence of the Krewe or any member thereof. Indeed, the law provides that anyone who participates in the parade “assumes the risk of being struck by an missile whatsoever which has been traditionally thrown, tossed or hurled by members of the krewe…”
As this parade season approaches, remember that while you rightfully assume the parades will be fun, you’ve also assumed the risk of injury. So keep your head on a swivel.