You may have noticed here lately we have announced a few new publications have been released. You maybe asking yourselves, “Paul, how do you write blog posts, present at meetings, and still have time to author publications?” The answer is simple; these have been working their way through the UME peer review process and were done months ago. We will not always be turning out publications at this level, so enjoy them while they are being released.
Today, the Agriculture Law Education Initiative and University of Maryland Extension have released UME Fact Sheet 990 covering livestock liability. This publication, entitled Understanding Agricultural Liability: Livestock and Other Animals (FS-990, 2014), discusses potential liability for livestock and other animals you may have on the farm. Typical theories for liability would include strict liability and negligence. This publication walks you through previous Maryland court cases involving livestock and when each form of liability was found. Finally, the publication offers suggestions on how to handle potential legal risks from livestock, for example utilizing liability waivers, purchasing the right level of general liability insurance, etc.
Along with this publication, remember we have information available on hanging a “Beware of Dog” sign (http://www.aglaw.umd.edu/blog/beware-of-dog-sign). We also have a checklist available for developing a liability waiver for your operation (http://www.aglaw.umd.edu/blog/liability-waiver-something-you-should-consider-to-protect-your-farm).
For other publications by the Agricultural Law Education Initiative, please see http://umaglaw.org/publications-library.html.