Talking with the owner about his employee dropping you will likely have a more effective result. Please do this as soon as possible. I don't understand why you would be motivated to go to court without trying to resolve things in a sensible way. But if you don't tell the owner, how can you expect anything to be done about it?

He's not looking to protect other climbers. Its obvious his motivation is a payday. Of course his payday will come at all of our expense. Just like the majority of other lawsuits in this country.

i'm just astonished over the high number of self-proclaimed competent climbers in this thread who seems to think that a tangled rope is a perfectly acceptable excuse for a belayer to drop a climber and that the one being dropped is the one who should get out of the sport...

I want to be clear on this though. I think the belayer is total idiot. I also think the guy he dropped is also a moron. That kind of cancels it out.

I think we've all been played.

DMT

I work at a camp over the summer, doing quite a bit of belaying for our climbing tower. We have this one guy on staff who has made a few mistakes while belaying. Every time he does, he is reprimanded and told "Don't let us catch you belaying anyone else until you figure out how to do it properly and show us that you know how again." Essentially, we make him retake an informal belay test every time he screws up. In other words, I don't think that the kid should necessarily be fired just because he screwed up once. However, you should definitely tell the gym owner what happened, because, if it is a pattern, the kid should be fired for sure.

...the plaintiff would be lucky to recover carfare to the courthouse.

I booked time on the wall with an instuctor and my g/f on valentines day. We are new to rock climbing and wanted an experienced person with us ensuring eveything is done properly, ( additional price )

On the last wall, 12-15 feet from the floor, the instructor said the rope got tangled and it slipped through his hands, thus causing me to fall direcly on my ankle.

What course of action would you guys take?
No compensation was offered.
No broken bones, just swelling and sore

Trophy for the best troll of the year.

Trophy for the best troll of the year.

Doood. I remember the trophies.

As a gym manager, if I saw one of my employees do that they would be fired, probably on the spot. It's a climbing gym not dancing in the damn park, if you don't know how to climb or belay you have no business working there. I would most certainly offer something in compensation for their time and injury and failing to hire good staff, probably something pretty good too, hoping that they would walk it off and not sue.

That being said, while you could sue it wouldn't be that worthwhile. Your injury is minimal so it's pretty hard to recover significant damage rewards if there aren't significant damages. Probably, as was suggested earlier it would be a good idea to write the gym manager a letter and ask that they remedy the situation with the employee and at refund your money for the "instruction". If they fail to offer you any further compensation then they do a pretty poor job at customer service.

As a guide/instructor both outside and inside I would personally rather die than drop someone. I could never forgive myself if I was the cause of someone getting injured or killed either professionally or personally. I can name the only three mistakes I've ever made climbing that were entirely my skills or decision making putting other people in danger. Falling on a client belay, dropping the rope while lowering someone (I caught it with my foot and other hand), rappeling off two ropes of differing lengths with one that didn't reach the ground. Of those I know two I will never do again because they scared the piss out of me and the other I don't have complete control of but I'm pretty good at not falling. Sounds like the kid doesn't take his job very seriously and his employer shouldn't seriously consider keeping him around.

I'd be curious what gym. If you don't want to call them out you could always just say what city, state it was in. Shouldn't be to hard to figure out from there.

So you joined RC.com just to whine about a sprang ankle? Do you know how many climbers on here have had freak accidents, had broken bones, died from climbing? The ones that haven't passed on, get back on rock and don't sue, bitch or complain. My advice to you Sir is to not post anything that insults a way of life!!!!!!!!!!

I'm guessing not many have died. But this being the internet, who knows.

A. Freak Accidents?
B. Broken bones?
C. Died from climbing?
D. A and B
E. A and C
F. B and C
G. All of the above (and then some)

well a toprope belay is surely not rocket science. but you DO have to be paying attention.

While I can certainly understand you're frustration... Climbing is a dangerous sport and even in the controlled environment of a gym risk cannot be eliminated.

I'm thinking if your really peeved, speak with the gym owner. I wouldn't be threatening but upset is fine. Perhaps they may have a kind word or a free day or two to offer.

But frankly, you are trying a risky and dangerous sport. You need to accept that risk before you tie into any rope.