Skiing is one of the most thrilling, entertaining, and popular winter recreational activities. While skiing is fun for the whole family and people of all ages, it is common for accidents to occur. Even though it is an inherently dangerous sport, many accidents occur as a result of the negligence of another. This often happens when a resort neglects to put up warning signs, fails to monitor and maintain conditions and equipment, and inadequately designs runs or lifts.
There are six main types of cases that can be argued as the result of a skiing accident :
1. Collision Cases : These cases occur when two or more skiers ski into each other and one of the skiers is suing the other skier.
2. Ski lift Cases : A skier is injured when a lift attendant makes a mistake while loading or unloading the ski lift. Ski lift cases can also be argued when the skier is injured as a result of unsafe maintenance, manufacture, design, or operation of the lift.
3. Fall Cases : Fall cases involve skiers that have been injured while on the mountain due to an improperly designed, marked, maintained, or groomed slope.
4. Instructor Cases : When the negligence of an instructor causes an injury. An example of this would be if the instructor brought a student to a slope that was above their skill level, if an instructor collided into a student, or if the instructor caused an accident between a student and another skier.
5. Vehicle Cases : When a snowmobile, snow cat, or other vehicle runs down a skier on the slope or in a nearby area, a vehicle case can be filed.
6. Equipment Cases : In an equipment case, the injury is caused by the failure of the skier’s equipment.
Sports injuries, including skiing, are the leading cause of unintentional injuries of children and young adults. Each year, a number of skiers are killed or injured on the slopes. Some of the most serious injuries include head trauma, brain injury, paraplegia, quadriplegia, spinal cord injuries and back injuries.
In recent years, the laws relating to ski injuries have been reworked so that it is now difficult for the resorts to simply argue that skiing is a dangerous sport by nature. It is now common for civil cases to prove negligence on the part of the resort or another skier. If you or someone you love is injured in a skiing accident don’t assume that the accident and injuries were your fault. You may be able to pursue a legal claim.
