new thread
I found this while I was researching for my college paper on long hair in the workplace. Sent shivers down my spine (and back up again)
In September 1993, Shawna Barber was injured during a go-kart race when her hair became entangled in the rear axle of her go-kart. Barber was driving an Enduro high-performance go-kart manufactured by Margay Racing Products Inc. and sold by Eastern Karting Co. to Cort Kane, Barber's boyfriend. Kane was an experienced go-kart racer, but Barber was a novice whose only experience with go-karts was when she accompanied Kane to a racing event in 1993.
Barber signed a general release required for entrance to the event upon arriving at the raceway. Barber said she did not read the release because of time constraints caused by several cars behind her waiting to enter the raceway. Barber said no one at the event discussed the terms of the release with her or discussed the risks of injury.
Prior to the race, Barber went for a practice run three times around the track, pulling her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail. Barber tucked her hair into her helmet. During the practice run, her hair did not fall out of her helmet.
After completing seven laps during the actual race, Barber's hair got caught in the rear axle of the go-kart, causing her scalp to be torn from her head. She was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Washington, D.C., where surgeons attempted to reattach her scalp, lacerated in five places. Her scalp could not be saved and skin grafts from her legs and buttocks were used. Barber underwent several operations. According to her complaint, her permanent injuries include loss of her scalp, hair and eyebrows and muscle and nerve damage in her eyelids.
In 1994, Barber filed suit against Woodbridge, Margay and Eastern seeking damages for her injuries. She maintained strict liability claims against Margay and Eastern and failure to warn claims against Woodbridge. The trial court granted the defendants summary judgment, finding the release signed by Barber bars her cause of action. Further, the trial court found that Barber assumed the risk of her injuries. Barber appealed.
For more go to (use cut and paste, you'll do yourself a favor)
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_ansset=GeHauKO-MsSDUARURUUCRCZ-CZYV-A-WRAREWVWWECEVRURARA&_docnum=1&_fmtstr=FULL&_session=c9bb2328-f3a3-11d2-b6fb-8a0c5867aa77%3b8079386%3b3101682393%3b35608%3b%20%3b0&_state=_ad_search_form%25a4univ_legnews%25a3_sources%25a4academic%252fsl_legnews.html%25a3_numdocs%25a425%25a3_lastsearchpage%25a4%252funiverse%252fform%252facademic%252funiv_legnews.html%25a3source%25a4legnew%253ballnws%25a3D1%25a4Keyword%25a31%25a4Shawna%2520Barber%2520%25a32%25a4%25a3after%25a40%253aALL%25a3date%25a4AFT%25a3frm_rng%25a4%25a3to_rng%25a4%25a3_origAnsSet%25a4GeHauKO-MsSDUARURUUCRCZ-CZYV-A-WRAREWVWWECEVRURARA%25a3_totaldocs%25a41%25a3&_md5=045d854e0dc16c7848c0cd1d46eb11a1
Not to be insensitive, but I read everything I sign. I don't care who it inconveniences. Beyond that, common sense would dictate a good deal of caution for someone who has long hair. Anyone with hair that long has had plenty of warnings from snags on the back of chairs and so forth.
Ewww! Gives me chills. How gruesome and terrible for her. But I'm sorry, if she's racing, she has the responsibility of making sure she is properly dressed and her hair is properly pinned up. I used to ride go-karts as a child and they can be pretty treacherous just on a kiddy level, let alone on a racing one. I've had my hair in so many unmentionable entanglements, experience alone tells me when doing sports or anything of this type tells me to braid my hair and pin it up. If not, then you know whose at fault. Me.
Chaeya