Ski Accidents and Prevention

Aside from beaches, thousands of people also swarm to ski resorts during the holidays and vacations for pleasure, relaxation, and leisure. But ski resorts are not free from the dangers of a possible accident, which can ruin a perfectly good vacation.

Ski Accidents and Cases

There are four common types of ski accidents: downhill accidents, lift accidents, and skier/snowboarder collision. These accidents can result to any of these types of claims or cases:

• Ski collision case

• Manslaughter/wrongful death

• Ski area negligence

• Ski equipment failure

Ski Lift Accidents

Ski lifts are uphill transports mainly used in individual sports and recreation to carry skiers and their equipment up a slope. Ski lifts are very important in ski resorts, but can be extremely dangerous if not maintained regularly, used properly or if proven defective. Ski accidents and lift failure cases happen for different reasons.

Lift-loading accidents account for 85 per cent of the accidents in ski lifts. A skier may have failed to load or unload the lift properly, or a passenger may have fallen off the lift (also called misload or hanger) because he wasn’t seated properly and was carried up the line seated incorrectly. Fifty per cent of the injuries from this type of accident resulted from ski lift unloading, while 35 per cent were due to loading.

A more serious cause of lift accidents involves failure of the cable or carrier, although it rarely happens, because half of the total deaths in ski lift-related accidents account for this reason. The management of the ski resort may have failed to do a regular maintenance of the machine, or there were manufacturing or design defects on the cable or carrier.

Ski Accident Prevention

There are some ways skiers can prevent any type of ski accidents.

• Opt to skate in the morning or while the sun is still out. It is more likely for people to meet an accident when it’s already dark and colder, or when the skier is already tired.

• Maintain a distance from others while skiing to avoid collision. Do not overtake them.

• Wear ski braces as it can help avoid severe fall injuries.

• Know how to properly use ski lifts.

• Take note of warning signs on the lift or anywhere, if there are any.

• Exercise one month prior to skiing to strengthen the muscles. This will decrease the likelihood of fractures.

• Follow safety instructions implemented on the resort.

To learn more about ski accident cases, consult with our skilled Los Angeles personal injury attorneys. Visit our website and avail of our free case analysis.