Ski and Snowboard Accident Victim?

Ski and Snowboard AccidentsOregon winter recreational sports are popular and range from skiing or snowboarding to riding a snowmobile. While these activities are fun, they also pose a risk of being involved in snow accidents. If you are involved in a serious skiing accident on Oregon’s ski slopes, you can suffer serious injuries that entail substantial medical costs and rehabilitative therapy. These costs and the loss of income when you are off work can result in extreme financial pressure on your family. Those who suffer injury in skiing accidents in Oregon may have a right to compensation, but because of the complexity of the law, it is essential to seek the advice of an Oregon ski and snowboard accidents attorney. There are Oregon laws that may limit the liability of owners of private property as well as that of commercial ski resorts.

While there is always a degree of risk if you wish to ski Oregon, this risk can be reasonable if you take certain safety precautions, such as wearing a helmet and not skiing above your ability. Even if you take extreme measures to safeguard your own safety, the negligent or reckless conduct of others can result in catastrophic and even life-threatening injuries. Some of the common causes of ski and snowboard accidents include the following:

  • Defective mechanisms that cause ski lift accidents
  • Unsafe reckless maneuvers by other skiers
  • Failure of the property owner or ski resort to enforce safety rules
  • Collision with other skiers who are not paying attention or are not skiing safely
  • Improper design or maintenance of the slopes or ski runs

We are experienced Oregon ski and snowboard accident lawyers

Our experienced Oregon ski and snowboard accident lawyers represent those injured in snow accidents on private property and at commercial ski resorts in Oregon including but not limited to the following:

  • Anthony Lakes Ski Area
  • Cooper Spur Ski Area
  • Hoodoo Ski Area
  • Mt. Ashland Ski and Snowboard Resort
  • Mt. Bachelor
  • Mt. Hood Meadow Ski Resort
  • Mt. Hood Ski Bowl
  • Spout Springs
  • Summit Ski Area
  • Timberline Lodge Ski Area
  • Warner Canyon Ski Resort
  • Willamette Pass

Ski and Snowboard Accident Risks

Because there is an inherent amount of risk of being involved in a ski and snowboard accident when one engages in this recreational activity, Oregon has legislation that grants immunity in some cases where you enter onto the land for recreational purposes. However, this grant of immunity is limited to public and private land where no fee is charged. Because commercial ski resorts charge a fee, the statutory grants of immunity that apply to the recreational use of some property will not generally shield a ski resort from liability for a skiing accident resulting from poorly designed runs or a ski lift accident from an inadequately maintained ski lift.

Many cases involving ski and snowboard accidents can be factually complicated. Some ski areas charge a fee for use in certain areas while allowing free use for other areas. There are also situations where the boundary lines between adjacent properties can be unclear. In such situations, a careful investigation is required to ascertain exactly where the accident occurred, and the scope of liability may be impacted by such factors as whether the skiing accident occurred on public or private land, whether a fee was paid and whether you were invited onto the land or it was generally held open to the public.

An experienced Oregon ski and snowboard accident firm will carefully investigate the circumstances of your accident to identify the causes and potential parties who may be liable for your ski and snowboard accident injuries. Because of the impact of recreational immunity statutes in Oregon, it is important to work with a law firm well versed in handling Oregon skiing accidents. The law firm of Dwyer Williams Cherkoss Attorneys has over seven decades of experience handling personal injury lawsuits including those involving all types of snow accidents including skiing accidents, snowboard accidents and ski lift accidents including a settlement of $2.4 million for a client involved in a snowmobile accident.

Snow accidents including skiing and snowboarding accidents can result in many serious and even catastrophic injuries including but not limited to the following:

  • Broken lower legs
  • Knee injuries including ACL injuries
  • Mid-shaft tibia fractures
  • Broken arms and other fractures
  • Traumatic head injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia
  • Damage to internal organs

Sadly, some ski and snowboard accident s have fatal results. The most common location for fatal ski and snowboard accident s is on blue cruiser trails where the average speed of skiers is 25 to 40 mph. People falling into tree wells cause some fatal skiing accidents. Tree wells are created by boughs of low-hanging conifers that cause the development of wells at their base. These skiing accidents are most common in areas that have not been properly groomed adjacent to groomed trails. The snow in these areas reacts like quicksand so the more the skier struggles trying to free oneself the deeper they are buried. These fatal ski and snowboard accidents may result in suffocation.

At Dwyer Williams Cherkoss Attorneys, PC, we are dedicated to seeking the compensation that Oregon ski and snowboard accident victims need to move past serious snow accidents by handling the insurance and legal issues so that you can focus on your recovery and taking care of your family. If you or your loved on has been injured in a skiing accident, snowboard collision or snowmobile crash, you may be entitled to damages for medical expenses, lost income, disfigurement, pain and suffering and loss of companionship and services. Our Oregon skiing accident attorneys have over 75 years of combined experience and will seek the best possible outcome for you and your family.

Leave a Review