What to Do About a Ski Accident: Your Complete Guide
What should you do after a ski accident? From first aid to reporting the accident to getting help with your recovery, our complete guide has the answers.
Ski Accident Basics: What to Do if You Are Involved in a Skiing Accident?
If you or someone in your family has ever been injured while skiing ( traveling over snow), you know that hiring an attorney is the last thing anyone wants to think about after being hurt in ski resorts. When an accident happens, the first step is to provide necessary first aid and shift the person to the hospital to get treated for serious injuries.
But if it’s not done right away, you could be missing out on important legal rights that protect your health insurance coverage or help pay for medical bills.
And if there are other skiers involved in the scene, they may have their own claims against those responsible for the crash—so it’s important to get legal advice as soon as possible.
Combs & Brown specialize in helping victims of mishaps like yours recover compensation from those at fault, including:
- Ski resorts that failed to maintain their facilities properly or provide adequate warnings when dangers exist;
- Manufacturers whose equipment was defective;
- Doctors who made mistakes during surgery;
- and others whose negligence caused injuries.
Our experienced personal injury lawyers can help ensure that all possible claims are pursued on your behalf so that you receive fair compensation for losses sustained due to the negligence of others responsible for causing this accident.
What is a Ski Accident?
A ski accident happens when someone gets hurt on the ski slopes and files an injury claim against the ski resort that they were skiing at. Depending on how far away from home, the injured person may or may not be covered under their own insurance policy.
If an injured skier doesn’t have coverage, they will file a lawsuit for damages against either the ski resort where the incident occurred or possibly even their homeowner’s policy if it was in place while traveling to another state.
Ski Accident Basics
One of the worst things for those who love winter sports is a frightening and potentially painful ski accident.
The snowboarding industry has flourished in the past few years, but with that growth comes an increase in injuries. While this is a cause for concern, and we can’t ignore it, advances in ski equipment have allowed safety to improve immensely.
Skiing and snowboarding personal injury cases can be complicated. Results might depend upon regional statutes, guidelines, and policies. If you consider filing a personal injury case, you might wish to consult with a ski injury lawyer with experience in that field.
To obtain information, advice, and potential representation, contact the skilled attorneys from Combs & Brown. They will tirelessly fight to ensure that you receive financial damages for the injuries you received while snowboarding.
What Causes Skiing or Snowboarding Accidents?
Many people sign with different skiing agencies to make the days of the December holidays as thrilling as possible without considering the threats it comes with. Some many different potential conditions and circumstances could contribute to ski crashes. The most common types of skiing and snowboarding mishap cases include the following:
- Chair lift accidents
- Collisions with objects like barriers, fences, signs, or trees
- Collisions with another skier or snowboarder
- Equipment failure
- Inadequate guidance from an instructor
There are many things that you can do to limit your risk. Plus, depending on why the accident occurred, one or more entities may be considered financially responsible. Only your attorney will be able to unravel the situation and determine who is most liable for your sufferings.
How Can You Take Precautions to Avoid Ski Crashes?
The first step in handling ski crashes is to take appropriate precautions and practice ski safety, including the following tips:
- Be aware of your fellow skiers and snowboarders.
- Know the area.
- Know the risk.
- Use proper safety gear such as helmets, back protectors, carving skis, and release bindings.
- Ski at your level.
- Take lessons.
If you have taken all necessary precautions, including wearing a helmet, and still the accident happened and you have sustained an injury from a ski crash, hire a Colorado ski accident lawyer to help you determine responsibility, provide advice, and help develop a strategy for obtaining financial compensation.
What to Do After Ski Accidents
Not every skier will encounter a situation where they will be requested to help another snowboarder or be involved in a crash. Snowboarding accidents can be dangerous, and you must understand what to do. Your or someone else’s life might depend upon it.
Follow these steps:
- Remain calm.
- Call the ski patrol.
- Get the names and contact information of anyone else involved.
- Get the contact information and statements of any witnesses.
- Document the conditions.
- Have a physician evaluate your condition.
- Contact a lawyer for further advice.
Make sure to bring all information and supporting documents to your attorney if you were the one injured. If you were one of the rescuers, make sure to remain available if the lawyer of the person who was injured needs to question you.
Can You Sue Someone for Snowboarding Injuries?
When you have received an injury at a Colorado ski resort, you may wonder whether you can sue someone for a ski accident. However, the more important question is, “Who can you sue?”.
If you or a loved one has been hurt on the ski slopes, you might be able to submit an accident suit and get paid for your suffering and losses.
Suppose malfunctioning equipment like a faulty chair lift or ski binding caused the crash. In that case, you could be entitled to a settlement from any business contributing to designing, creating, or dispersing the item.
If your wound is based upon neglect, your attorney will need to prove that the ski resort or another person was “at fault.” Based on this factor, if you are accused of being financially liable for another’s wounds, you should retain counsel to represent you in court. It is considered a risky sport, and your lawyer may argue that no one is ultimately responsible.
What Are Possible Ski Injuries?
Some of the ski injuries you may experience due to collisions on the slopes may affect you and your family for the rest of your life. Damages arising from snowboarding mishaps can include the following:
- Brain abrasion
- Death
- Fractures
- Knee sprain
- Pain and suffering
- damages to spine
- Sprains
Other serious injuries occur due to ski lifts, collisions with trees or other skiers, and falls on the slopes. Your attorney can determine who the responsible parties are based on the nature of the mishap.
Determining Compensation After Fatal Skiing Accident
When determining compensation after a fatal ski accident, there are many aspects that a law firm will consider.
One thing that many people are unaware of is that a suit can occur even if death is not immediate. If the crash caused injuries that eventually resulted in death, the family could sue whoever was deemed responsible for the occurrence.
Since a person’s death affects everyone they know, and the total cost of losing life can never be totally assessed, the court systems compensate in monetary terms. Several factors that the courts may consider include the following:
- Cost of immediate medical care
- Cost of hospitalization
- Cost of ongoing, lifelong medical care and hospitalization
- The emotional stress of the entire family
- Home health care
- Legal expenses
- Lost wages
- Psychiatric counseling
- Rehabilitation
Choose the right Colorado lawyer to advise and represent your family after suffering from an injury on the slopes. Attorneys Larry D. Combs and Sean E. Brown will fight tirelessly to win the financial compensation due to you following a ski accident.
Who Is Responsible for a Ski Accident?
If you have received an injury at a ski resort, especially if it involves another uphill skier or snowboarder, you may wonder, “Who is responsible for a ski accident?”
Although everyone realizes that snowboarding is risky and that there is a chance of damage, a few parties can still be held responsible.
The ski resorts could be financially liable if the accident resulted from resort negligence, such as a faulty ski lift or improper signage. If a fellow skier’s aggressive or reckless behavior caused a collision, they could be sued and possibly prosecuted.
Depending on the nature and cause of the damage, a parent may also be considered partly responsible if it is deemed that negligence occurred. Please read our guide on How to Select a Child’s Ski Helmet to cover your bases.
The only way to know who is liable for the ski crash is to consult an experienced and skilled lawyer familiar with the area, as well as collisions on the ski slope.
Hire an Experienced Ski Accident Personal Injury Lawyer
When you experience an untimely skiing accident in Colorado, you should contact a Ski Accident law firm.
If you need to fight an insurance company or wealthy ski lodge, a sympathetic and assertive lawyer provides excellent advice and will represent you in court if necessary.
To improve your chances of receiving fair compensation after being injured in a ski crash, don’t hesitate to contact us for a consultation.