Ski Collision Cases
Throughout the United States, skiers and snowboarders are financially responsible to other skiers for negligent or reckless skiing resulting in a skier/skier collision.
When skiing downhill, skiers typically assume risks inherent in the sport, but skiers typically do not assume the risk of another skier’s negligence. The question of precisely which risks are “inherent”- especially in the context of modern, highly groomed, controlled, and heavily marketed skiing - is decided on a state-by-state basis. In Colorado, it is presumed that the uphill skier is at fault in an accident, because the overtaking skier has the primary duty to avoid the skier below him or her. Thus, one of the key issues in any skier/skier case is who was the uphill or overtaking skier.
For more discussion, click here - ski collision cases.
Ski Collision Cases of Note
- Sexton v. Kavcak
Jury Verdict for Mother Run Down by Snowboarder - Catalano v. Cook
Skier/snowboarder collision at Vail in March 2009 - Kotun v. S.H., a minor
Utah ski collision case results in $1.5 million settlement - Volinn v. Dutton
Skier on Vail run fails to slow for a roller, collides with downhill skier - Rusnak v. Walker - Skier in Michigan assumes the risk of being hit by an uphill skier, but if the uphill skier was negligent, he or she may still be liable
- Lackner v. North - Snowboarder acted with reckless disregard in California collision
- Morgan v. Haynes
Rushing skier collides into other on bridge, settlement of $225,000 - Tarnecki v. T. S., a minor
Snowboarding minor collides with skier on Keystone slope - Guzy v. Lewis
Unsupervised minor skier collides into fellow skier at Keystone - Maney v. Dunlap
Snowboarder plows into downhill snowboarder causing knee ligament rupture - Nichols v. Reder
Collision by snowboarder into skier results in ACL rupture, meniscus tear, herniated/bulging discs and PTSD - Reigner v. N.M.
Collision impact strong enough to break off top of right femoral - Thompson v. Hall
Minor has lift ticket "Red Tagged" after severe collision shatters other skier's pelvis - Dinh v. P.K., a minor
California minor found to demonstrate "reckless disregard" after colliding into downhill skier - Schroeder v. McAvity
Violent collision on Steamboat Springs run results in severe upper-body injuries - Omohundro v. Doud-Lacher
Good Samaritan skier is walloped from above at A-Basin - Schweitzer v. Hubbard
Snowmass collision results in policy limit settlement for severe shoulder fracture - Hakim v. Valkoun
Snowboarding class results in one student wiping out fellow student - Affa v. Nejezchleb
Witness testimony established that the defendant was sitting back on his skis, skiing straight down the fall line at a high rate of speed and collided into Affa from above - Kleinstein v. Milkulas
Deadbeat skier skips put on settlement after serious collision with other skier - Coxon v. Bond
Student in snowboard class run over by skier - Sale v. Dixon
Vail skier-skier collision settles for $500,000.00 - Bedo v. Klarzuk
Skier at Copper Mountain run over by snowboarder, suffers fractured shoulder
