Recent Ski Cases
Linda: In 1980, Jim Chalat published a law review article about the Colorado Skier Safety Act. It had been enacted in 1979 in order to protect ski area operators from liability in cases involving the “inherent risks of skiing. Since then, we have developed a practice area concerning skier accidents. In 1998, I created and […]
The injury rate for recreational skiers and snowboarders is approximately 1.37 per 1,000 skier/snowboarder visits. In Colorado, this translates to about 25,000 injuries, from minor to severe, each ski season. Snowboarders and skiers suffer different types of injuries, but their statistical likelihood of an injury is equivalent. Despite common misconceptions, snowboarders are neither more dangerous […]
What is a ski collision case? Skiing is not a contact sport and being blindsided by another skier or snowboarder is not an inherent risk under either Colorado or Utah law. Colorado law presumes that the uphill skier or boarder is at fault in a skiing accident, because the overtaking skier has the primary duty […]
Colorado’s “Ski Safety Act,” located at Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 33-44-101 to -114 provides for skier assumption of inherent dangers, and creates statutory duties for skiers and operators. Skiers, inclusive of sledders and snowboarders, have duties to ski within their abilities, with uphill skiers having a primary duty to avoid collision. Breach of skier […]
Parents have joined forces to urge Colorado lawmakers to be aggressive towards the legislation renewing the Colorado Passenger Tramway Board into 2030. Parents want more flexibility to safeguard the state’s chairlifts. Lisa Wilder, a parent and ski safety advocate and other parents of skiing children, are pressuring lawmakers to be stricter with the board that […]
Summit County community members gathered in late January, to discuss safety on the slopes. The discussion was led by the Alliance for Skier and Snowboarder Responsibility. The group was recently founded and is dedicated to helping skiers and snowboarders adhere to their responsibilities regarding safety while on the mountain. Founder Katherine Jeter, a resident of […]
Jim Chalat presented as a faculty member at the 35th Annual National CLE Conference – Civil Litigation at Vail, Colorado on January 3-7, 2018. His presentation reviews recreational accident claims with an emphasis on ski accidents and ski law. The presentation is a 61-page pdf file, if you wish to have a copy please email […]
The ski season has just begun, yet a death has already occurred at Monarch Ski Resort. The victim was a twenty-three year old member of the U.S. Army from Ohio. Chaffee County deputies reported that he was snowboarding on Dec. 2nd at Monarch when we lost control and crashed into a tree. This is by […]