Might be me, but my experience with similar athletics checks in the game is that contrary to meaning instadeath upon failure, they usually lead to "barely making it through", but gaining a wound in the process. Of course I haven't played the game solo or in Path of the Damned yet so things may be different in those modes, but if the above is still the case in these playthroughs then I do think it's a legitimate complaint if the game sets an expected outcome for failing these checks that is far less drastic than what they suddenly got.