I Was Injured at a Ski Resort: What Are My Legal Options?
Ski resorts are popular during the winter months. They offer numerous activities and accommodations, including skiing, snowboarding, tubing, restaurants, and bars. While ski resorts should be a safe place to enjoy time with friends and family, ski resort accidents are common.
Individuals involved in ski accidents often have questions, most notably, “What are my legal options if I was injured at a ski resort?” The options available to ski accident victims depend on the circumstances of their injuries. Monroe County personal injury attorneys at Foley Law Firm work with accident victims from Scranton, Stroudsburg, and Wilkes-Barre, PA, to determine their best course of legal action.
What if the Ski Resort Was Dangerous?
Under premises liability laws, ski resort owners and operators are responsible for maintaining their premises in a manner that is reasonably safe for guests and patrons. Unfortunately, dangerous conditions cause a large number of ski resort accidents. Unsafe conditions that may cause ski resort accidents include:
- Failure to maintain or repair ski lifts
- Failure to maintain slopes, trails, and runs
- Failure to properly mark slopes, trails, and runs
- Failure to clean up spills in a reasonable time
- Failure to warn patrons of wet, slippery surfaces
- Lack of handrails on stairs
When a ski resort accident is the result of negligence on the part of the property owner or property management, accident victims can file a premises liability lawsuit to pursue compensation for related damages.
What if a Ski Resort Employee Injured Me?
Sometimes, a ski resort employee is directly responsible for an accident. When a ski resort employee acts negligently and a patron is injured as a result, the employee may be personally liable for injury damages. However, filing a personal injury lawsuit against a ski resort employee may not be effective because employees could lack funds to provide adequate compensation. Fortunately, employers may be legally responsible for their employee’s actions, so accident victims may be able to file a claim against owners or operators of the ski resort.
What if I Signed a Waiver?
Ski resorts commonly require guests to sign a waiver before participating in activities on their premises. The waiver usually states that the guest will not sue the ski resort if they are injured while on the slopes. Many skiers believe that signing a waiver forfeits their right to seek legal action against a ski resort, but that is not always true. Waivers make personal injury claims more complex, but injured parties can still seek damages for injuries that could have or should have been prevented.
What if Another Skier Injured Me?
Reckless skiers and snowboarders are another cause of ski resort accidents. Skiers and snowboarders must adhere to a responsibility code. Like a car driver’s duty of care, skiers and snowboarders must take precautions to keep others on the slope safe. Individuals injured by reckless or negligent skiers can file a personal injury lawsuit against the person responsible for the accident.
Contact Foley Law Firm
Ski resorts often have expensive legal teams ready to fight on their behalf to deny liability for ski resort accidents. If you or a loved one was injured at a ski resort, you need a knowledgeable personal injury attorney on your side. To find out how the lawyers at Foley Law Firm can assist you in pursuing compensation for ski resort injuries, send us a message at your earliest convenience.