“Cars Parked at Owner’s Risk” is a common term across public spaces and businesses in Nigeria; this sign is just a warning that the particular business or property owner is waving away the responsibility of securing your car with just that simple sign. The question is, how valid are these disclaimers in the Nigerian Law?
A disclaimer is a statement that tries to limit a person’s or businesses legal responsibility for something that could go wrong. And the sign “Cars Parked at Owner’s Risk” sign is a clear disclaimer that tries to exclude the owner of the car park from liability if your car gets stolen or damaged; it is typically used by businesses to shield themselves from potential claims by customers or visitors. This is what can be termed an exclusion of liability clause in legal terms. In law, however, it is not that simple. Just because there’s a sign doesn’t mean the business is off the hook.
Can a simple sign really make a business not liable? In…