The summer heat is giving way to cool air and colorful autumn leaves. In New Mexico, this means that ski season will soon be here, as snowfall will soon extend beyond the mountain peaks to the state’s most scenic ski resorts. Skiing is an excellent form of physical exercise; some people make a daily habit of it when the weather permits. It also carries a substantial risk of physical injury. One assumes a greater amount of risk simply by putting on a pair of skis to engage in skiing than one assumes simply by putting on a pair of shoes to go for a walk outside. The New Mexico Ski Safety Act protects the right of skiers to enjoy safe ski areas and to seek damages if they get injured in accidents caused by someone else’s negligence. If you got injured in a preventable accident at a ski resort, contact a Santa Fe personal injury lawyer.
What Can Go Wrong on a Skiing Trip?
As with any form of outdoor recreation, the environment, characterized by slippery surfaces and uneven terrain, poses some inherent risks, especially when skiers attempt to traverse it at high speeds. The following are some scenarios where people have been injured while skiing:
- One skier collides with another skier or with a snowboarder
- A skier falls on the trail or slope or collides with a stationary object such as a tree
- A skier trips over an obstacle on the trail, such as a log
- The chair lift malfunctions, causing injury
- A skier deviates from the trail and enters a dangerous area because boundaries are not clearly marked by ropes or signs
Your Rights After Being Injured in a Ski Accident in New Mexico
People who get injured in preventable accidents have the right to seek compensation for their injury-related financial losses by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the party or parties responsible for the accident. The purpose of the accident is to cover the medical bills you incurred and, if applicable, the income you lost, because of the accident. Since paying guests at ski resorts are business invitees, premises liability laws apply in many ski accident cases. If you are filing a premises liability claim against a ski resort, you must prove that the operators of the resort should reasonably have known about the hazard that caused your accident and could have removed the hazard or prevented guests from accessing the dangerous area.
If the accident arises from a collision between two guests, whether they are two skiers or a skier and a snowboarder, you may be able to seek damages from the other guest if you can prove that his or her negligence was the direct cause of the accident. Ski accident lawsuits of this type resemble car accident lawsuits. The New Mexico Ski Safety Act outlines the rights of people who ski in New Mexico.
Contact Slate Stern About Ski Accident Lawsuits
Slate Stern is a personal injury lawyer who represents plaintiffs injured in ski accidents. Contact Slate Stern in Santa Fe, New Mexico, or call (505)814-1517 to discuss your case.
Sources
https://recreation-law.com/2012/01/23/new-mexico-skier-safety-act/