The Legal Liability of Ski Lift Accidents

Winter is a great time to enjoy snow sports such as skiing, snowboarding, or ice-skating and for many people, going to the mountains and doing these activities are a good way to spend the holidays.

However, going to ski resorts or the mountains can expose people to certain dangers such as sports accidents, slip and fall, and dangerous or defective equipment.

In fact, there was a major skiing accident in a resort in Maine at the end of the year which injured 8 skiers (5 adults and 3 children) and left more than a hundred people stranded for more than an hour in a derailed ski lift.

According to the authorities, the 35-year old lift of Sugarloaf Resort got derailed and though 2 chairlift mechanics were called to fix the lift’s cable which was out of alignment, the lift’s cable came off its track.

The 4,013 feet long lift sent 8 skiers plummeting 25 to 30 feet and 150 skiers got stranded. Although the ski lift recently passed an inspection, the lift is scheduled to be replaced by next summer as even the resort management admitted that it was vulnerable to the wind.

It was reported that wind gusts were 40-50 mph around the time of the accident. While the state investigators say that the wind may have contributed to the accident, other factors that caused the accident (such as mechanical error) are not ruled out.

The 60-year old resort claimed that it was the worst accident in its history.

While ski lift accidents occur less frequently than any other type of accident, these can be fatal given that many people can fall off great heights. According to the National Ski Areas Association, lift accidents have killed only 12 people since 1973. One of the most famous accidents occurred in Squaw Valley, California where 4 people were killed.

While it is the responsibility of ski resort owners to keep their premises and equipment safe for the use of their guests, they may incur liability if they failed to take reasonable steps to assure the safety of the premises. The negligence of their employees in operating the ski lift or hazardous conditions left uncorrected despite being obvious to a reasonable person can give rise to a personal injury claim.

However, fault may not always lie with the property owner – some skiing or ski lift accidents are caused by the skiers or guests own negligence. Here are some tips to avoid skiing accidents:

• Before using a ski lift, know how to load, ride, and unload safely.


• Follow all posted signs and warnings. Do not go to closed trails and areas.


• People ahead of you have the right of way, when going downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.

If you have questions on what to do in case of a ski lift accident, it would be advisable for you to talk to a personal injury attorney.

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