COLORADO SPRINGS SKI AND SNOWBOARD ACCIDENTS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Skiing and snowboarding are no longer just recreational activities enjoyed by the few of us living in snowy regions. These wintry outdoor activities have risen to become mainstream winter sports and thrilling competitive endeavors. Unfortunately, this rise in popularity has also led to an increase in the number of injuries these activities cause each year.

Take a look at some of the most important info to have after a skiing or snowboarding accident, and contact one of our Colorado Springs personal injury lawyers if you believe you are entitled to legal compensation.

INJURIES CAN BE SEVERE

As adrenaline packed as these sports are, it is no surprise that accidents on the slopes can happen and can lead to serious injuries. 

The majority of skiing and snowboarding injuries are caused by incidents involving chair lifts, equipment failure, poor instruction, and collisions with other skiers, trees, barriers, fences, or signs. These accidents can range in severity, from a sprained wrist or knee injury to head trauma and spinal cord damage.

Receiving medical attention should be the very first priority after an accident, regardless of how minor the injuries may seem. These injuries could have a significant impact on one’s quality of life and can make it difficult to perform everyday tasks. On top of this, their treatment can also be quite costly. 

Fortunately, an injured person may have the option to recover their losses through a personal injury claim.

SKI RESORT NEGLIGENCE OR PRODUCT LIABILITY?

Skiing and snowboarding lawsuits generally arise from either negligent actions or defective products. 

Negligence is based on a legal concept that holds citizens to a reasonable amount of care for others. When a party does not meet this standard of care, they are considered negligent and may be liable for injuries that resulted from their negligence. Skiing or snowboarding scenarios resulting from negligence could include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Your instructor took you to ski or snowboard on slopes that were clearly above your ability level.
• You were in a collision with another person who was being careless or reckless.
• The slopes were not adequately marked, maintained, or designed.

Defective product claims, on the other hand, differ slightly from personal injury claims based on negligence because the defective product was not necessarily the fault of the ski resort. Instead, a third-party company could be held liable. For example, if you sustained injuries due to a product that was defective or dangerous like a broken ski binding or a defective chair lift, you may qualify for compensation from the companies that distributed, manufactured, or designed the product.

HEUSER & HEUSER CAN HELP PROTECT YOUR RIGHTS

Compensation in personal injury cases comes in the form of a monetary award known as damages. Ideally, these damages should cover the medical expenses associated with your injury, lost income due to your injury, and any additional pain and suffering your injury caused you.

When you’re filing a skiing or snowboarding accident lawsuit, the defense commonly raises the issue of the “assumption of risk.” This concept states that you were aware of the risks involved before you participated in the activity, but you chose to participate in it anyway. This tactic is commonly used in an attempt to avoid paying you due compensation. This is where having a trained attorney represent you becomes vital.

If you were injured in a skiing or snowboarding accident and believe that you are entitled to compensation, contact an experienced Colorado Springs personal injury attorney from Heuser & Heuser. Our professional team of attorneys has been representing the good people of Colorado for years, and we’re here for you too.