Skiing and snowboarding are inherently dangerous activities. You accept the risk of injury normally associated with venturing onto the slopes with skis or a snowboard secured to your feet, but when the negligent, reckless or careless conduct of other parties cause you to be injured, you might be entitled to recover damages in a lawsuit against them. If you are injured while skiing or snowboarding, you should have an experienced personal injury lawyer review the facts and circumstances to determine if other parties were at fault. Activities that could lead to liability on the part of others include the following:
Ski resort operators: Improper grooming of the slopes, failure to provide adequate warning of known hazards, and improperly designed, constructed or marked trails could cause accidents and injuries through no fault on your part.
Instructors: Lessons are essential for novices learning how to ski and snowboard, but some instructors may not be up to the task of teaching the proper techniques to avoid mishaps and injuries on the slopes.
Other skiers and snowboarders: Careless and reckless behaviour on the part of other individuals on the slopes may create hazardous situations. For example, someone taking a shortcut by ignoring trail markings to ski across your path could cause a collision sending you to hospital for emergency treatment.
Ski resort operators: Improper grooming of the slopes, failure to provide adequate warning of known hazards, and improperly designed, constructed or marked trails could cause accidents and injuries through no fault on your part. Instructors: Lessons are essential for novices learning how to ski and snowboard, but some instructors may not be up to the task of teaching the proper techniques to avoid mishaps and injuries on the slopes. Other skiers and snowboarders: Careless and reckless behaviour on the part of other individuals on the slopes may create hazardous situations. For example, someone taking a shortcut by ignoring trail markings to ski across your path could cause a collision sending you to hospital for emergency treatment. Another situation that could put you at risk of suffering a serious injury on the slopes is skiing or snowboarding in areas designated as above your skill level. You assume the risk of being injured if the decision to venture onto a difficult trail was your own decision. However, if the trail was mismarked or you were directed to a particular trail by an employee of the ski resort or by your instructor, you could have a claim for damages.
If the cause of an injury on the slopes is a defective binding or other piece of equipment, the provider and manufacturer of the equipment might become parties to a lawsuit in which you seek damages. An evaluation of the circumstances of the accident by a skilled personal injury lawyer is important because multiple parties could be at fault. For example, a defective binding that causes you to lose control while skiing and crash into a piece of grooming equipment left unattended could make the manufacturer of the binding and the ski resort operator could both share responsibility.