Ski Resorts Are Full Of Hidden Dangers
Ski season brings thousands of people to the slopes each year for outdoor fun on the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina. Unfortunately, ski resorts can also be the site of severe injuries every year, including brain injuries, spine injuries, and even death. Common accidents include ski lift mishaps, equipment failure, and skiers crashing into each other.
At Davis Law Group, our lawyers represent people injured at area resorts such as Wolf Ridge Ski Resort, Sapphire Valley Ski Area, Sugar Mountain Resort, Beech Mountain Ski Resort, Cataloochee Ski Area and others.
Our lead attorney, Brian Davis, has more than 25 years of experience representing injury victims in Asheville and the surrounding area. As a skier himself, he understands the importance of safety on the slopes. He will review your case in a free consultation to help you determine the next steps for your situation.
Understanding North Carolina’s Ski Safety Laws
Some people mistakenly assume they cannot sue for an accident on the slopes. Depending on the circumstances surrounding your accident, you may have a personal injury case against the resort, an instructor, an equipment manufacturer or another skier. North Carolina’s personal injury laws require that you prove the at-fault party had a duty to act reasonably under the circumstances and negligently failed to act that way, causing your injury. When that at-fault party is a property owner, they have a duty to keep their property reasonably safe for guests. Failure to do so can result in a premises liability claim.
North Carolina also has specific laws regarding ski safety. These laws create duties for both skiers and is resort operators. Duties for skiers include:
- To ski within their abilities
- To maintain control of speed and course to avoid other skiers and noticeable hazards such as trees and rocks, equipment, vehicles, and poles
- To wear proper equipment and follow posted information and warnings
- To use and treat the tramways (ski lifts) appropriately
- To report any accidents or collisions to a ski area operator and to provide information to other skiers involved
Ski area operators also have duties. These include:
- To properly mark and light trails, signs, maintenance vehicles and equipment
- To clearly post a trail or slope’s difficulty level and any unusual conditions
- To provide ski patrols
- To clearly mark any hidden hazards on the trails
- To inspect all trails and slopes twice per day and post trail conditions for the public
- To refrain from any willful or negligent conduct that contributes to an injury
The statute considers any violation of these duties evidence of negligence on the part of the actor.
If your accident was caused by someone violating any of the duties described here, you may have a personal injury case against that person or a premises liability claim against the resort. We can thoroughly investigate your claim and plan a legal strategy to obtain the compensation you deserve.
Schedule Your Free Consultation Today
Attorney Brian Davis has over 25 years of experience handling personal injury lawsuits. Let him put that experience to work for you. Call our Asheville office toll free at 888-773-8388 to schedule your free consultation or send us an email.
We take every case on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay us unless we recover money for you.