Skiing is one of the most dangerous sports in the world. Research has found that approximately 600,000 people are injured every year while skiing and snowboarding in the United States. According to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), in 2012, there were 54 skiing and snowboarding deaths at ski areas within the country, where there was a total of 51 million ski visits. It is estimated that there are about 2 injuries that occur in every 1,000 skier visits. If you get injured at a ski resort, how the injury occurred is what your legal rights depend on. If your injury occurred while skiing or snowboarding and you believe that another skier or snowboarder caused the injury, you may have the right to file a lawsuit against them for negligence or recklessness. However, if you were injured while you were skiing or snowboarding, or even while you were just standing on a ski trail, and you think that it was the ski resort’s fault, your legal rights are limited.

Ski Resort Immunity and Inherent Skiing Risk

Skiing is one of the most dangerous sports in the world. According to statistics compiled by the US National Ski Areas Association, there is an average of 40 deaths every year caused by snowboarding and ski accidents in the United States. The average injury rate on any given day is 2 to 3 every 1,000 skiers. During the 2010/2011 season, there were 47 fatalities out of the 60.5 million snowboarder/skier days that were reported for the season. There are many ways to prevent skiing injuries. Some of the most common injuries include:

• ACL (anterior collateral or cruciate ligament) injuries
• Shoulder fractures or dislocations
• Fractures in the lower extremity
• Spinal injuries
• Shoulder separations
• Wrist, thumb, or hand injuries
• Closed head injuries