You cannot obtain a valid waiver of liability for personal injury or death caused by your own negligence. If you give a friend or relative a ride in your car, crash through careless driving, and your friend is killed or injured, you would expect a claim to be made against you, which your car insurance would cover. This might even be done without undue acrimony. The situation is no different in flying.
The jockey may or may not have a case, depending upon the cause of the accident, as to which I have no knowledge and offer no view. I emphatically agree that litigation-craziness is deplorable, but injury in a (ground, sea or air) vehicle crash gives rise to a situation which most people would regard as one where it is not inherently irresponsible to consider compensation. Rather different from spilling your hot coffee and other claims direct type nonsense.
It is better to be insured.
PS: I am a lawyer but do not do accident cases and do not work on contingency fees, which are in my view harmful to the public interest.
Last edited by FNG; 28th Jun 2002 at 15:04.