Ideminification for Digital Volunteers - Ask activating organization to protect yo
L Shanley
Calling for “Backup” – Indemnification for Digital Volunteers
Commons Lab Blog, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, November 7, 2012
(Editor’s note: This guest blog is by Edward S. Robson, Esq.)
In the past I have written about the tort liability that digital volunteers face when making responses. In addition to a number of other strategies, one method for reducing liability is to obtain indemnification from the governmental agency or NGO requesting the services of the digital volunteers.
First, a few words about indemnification: This means to require a requestor to pay any expenses or awards associated with the claims brought against digital volunteers as a result of their work for the requesting party. If a member of a digital volunteer group negligently released information causing a disaster victim to be injured, the requesting agency would be contractually required to pay attorney’s fees incurred in defense, or any awards. An indemnification agreement would not necessarily cover all conduct of digital volunteers, including acts of gross negligence or recklessness.
To obtain indemnification, groups need an agreement with the party
requesting service. The agreement need not be actively negotiated but
could be contained in an online activation request. The acceptance of
terms and conditions, including acceptance of indemnification, would be a
prerequisite for submission of an activation request. [MORE]
- TO READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE, visit: http://wilsoncommonslab.org/2012/11/07/calling-for-backup-indemnification-for-digital-volunteers/#more-631
- TO READ RESPONDING TO LIABILITY: EVALUATING AND REDUCING TORT LIABILITY FOR DIGITAL VOLUNTEERS operating in the United States, by Ed Robson, on behalf of the Wilson Center's Commons Lab with the support of CrisisCommons, visit: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/commons-lab-releases-report-liability-for-digital-volunteers-disasters
- TO WATCH A VIDEO with Ed Robson on Crisis Mapping LEGAL AND POLICY ISSUES, such as liability and privacy, visit: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/event/webcast-day-2-connecting-grassroots-to-government-for-disaster-management-policy-roundtable