Ski Resorts in Washington State get some of the best snow fall in the country, particularly during the weather pattern known as La Nina, which is expected to hit in the 2010 and 2011 season. This level of snow makes ski resorts hazardous places.

Every winter there are reports of skiers suffering serious personal injuries from skiing or snowboarding accidents. Those who do the activity are fully aware of the hazards, but what about the people who aren’t skiing?

Washington ski resorts carry many hazards that people don’t think about and most of the hazards (of course) have to do with snow control. The resorts do the best they can to avoid avalanches through blasting or closing areas they feel are hazardous areas. They also clear walkways and try as much as they can to accommodate some of the patrons who are visiting the resort for the atmosphere and a fun holiday in the snow.

It is the ski resort’s responsibility to minimize the hazards of the environment that it makes money off of in order to protect patrons, their kids, and skiers/snowboarders alike. No one can control the weather, but after the weather has hit the ground, it is the resort’s problem. Snow accumulation along walkways, roadways, and on roofs can become a major problem and that is why it is imperative that the resort has policies and resources in place to alleviate the problem in a timely manner.

One example of the hazards of snow accumulation has gone to court recently and could end up costing the resort millions of dollars as a woman was rendered a paraplegic due to untimely and negligent snow clearing policies of one Washington ski resort.

Personal Injury Lawsuit

On Jan. 22, 2008, the 66-year-old Patricia Miller, of Ferndale, was sitting in a chair at the Mt. Baker Ski Resort in northern Washington. She was reading a book in an area outside of the lodge, waiting for her husband to come down from the slopes.

Suddenly, an accumulation of ice and snow on the lodge roof broke loose and collapsed on her. This heavy pile of snow and ice caused serious spinal cord injuries, head injuries, and other serious personal injuries.

The ski resort accident left her hospitalized for a month and required many more months of rehabilitation. Now she is a paraplegic and requires constant care to stay alive.

The lawsuit is seeking past and future medical expenses of more than $2.6 million, as well as $5 million in general damages such as pain and suffering.

The ski resort is of course defending itself saying that clearing the roof would put their employees in danger. They said that there were moveable metal barriers and signs under the roof warning of falling snow and that Miller was at fault because she had placed the chair inside the metal barrier area. They also brought out a witness, an employee, who said that he had warned her about the dangers only minutes before the accident.

The woman’s attorney told the jury that the metal barrier must have been open because for a 66 year-old woman to move the heavy barrier with a plastic chair and a book in her hand would have been impossible. The lawyer also pointed out that she was still 15 feet from the edge of the roof and that the “snow boulder” on the roof shot out and would have hit her whether she was on the right side or wrong side of the barrier. They brought out a witness who was sitting nearby to attest to that.

The jury in this personal injury lawsuit have not yet given a verdict as of the posting of this article.

Phillips Webster has neither involvement nor legal interest in this lawsuit, but it brings up good questions about the level of responsibility for ski resorts and what some of the preventable hazards are.

Dangerous Hazards in Ski Resorts

Wandering the hallways, walkways, and facilities of Washington State’s ski resorts can be like walking in a whole different world. Many of them are set up like mountain villages in the Alps in Europe with restaurants and shops offering all of the conveniences of home. But where there is snow, there is ice and dampness everywhere. Some of the hazards visitors need to look out for are:

• Slick Walkways – Keeping pedestrian walkways clear of packed snow and ice is a daily battle for resorts. These can lead to serious personal injuries from slipping and falling and cause broken bones and head injuries particularly in children and elderly people. Please make sure to change out of slick ski and snowboard boots and into snow boots with good traction to avoid falls.
• Icy Outdoor Hot Tub Areas – After a long day on the slopes there’s nothing more fun or relaxing than getting into a steamy hot tub in the freezing winter evening and sipping on a hot drink. But as people get in and out of the tubs they leave a trail of water, which freezes rather quickly. Make sure to wear shower shoes and hold onto available handrails when going from the hot tub to inside the dry resort.
• Pools of Water – Snow can cling to the boots, jackets, and hats of skiers and fall off long after they’ve entered a facility. These little piles of snow melt quickly leaving little hazards that can catch a running child or a person not paying attention unexpectedly. They can also leave patches of carpet in hotel hallways unexpectedly slick. Please keep an eye out for these.
• Fire Hazards – One of the most romantic parts of the ski resort experience is snuggling up near a warm crackling fire. That is, until the fire crackles onto you. Whether you make a fire in the fireplace provided in your cabin or are in a public area in the resort, use caution and make sure the screen is closed. Also, don’t dry clothing too close to the fire as some materials ignite easily.
• Chair Lift – The chair lift is used by skiers and snowboarders to get up the hill in order to ski down. These are crowded areas with fast chairs requiring people to move quickly into position in order to sit in the chair rather than being hit by it, dragged by it, or hung by it. It is very important to be extra cautious when getting on and off of the chair lift.
• Snowdrifts – People don’t realize how easily it is to get injured in a snowdrift. Children can fall off of a balcony or high area into a snowdrift and be completely covered out fo the site of their parents and passers-by. Inside the child has no way of knowing which way is up and could easily get more and more stuck as they struggle to get out. Please be cognizant of this hazard.
• Falling Snow and Icicles – As you can see in the lawsuit above that falling snow can severely injure or kill innocent bystanders. The hazard from falling icicles is just as dangerous. Some icicles can get as long as a car, as thick as a drainage pipe, and as sharp as a spear, piercing the human body just as easily. Please keep a wide berth from eaves.
• Car Accidents – Hazardous roadways are some of the biggest concerns in ski areas as traffic flows in and out of the resort. Keeping roadways clear is a daunting task as snow piles up narrowing roads throughout the season. Also dangerous is driving from a dry parking garage onto the slick roadways as many cars immediately begin to slide the moment their car hits the ice and snow. Always drive patiently and cautiously on snowy roadways.

Personal Injury Attorneys of WA Helping Victims

Ski Resorts are multimillion dollar businesses in a sport that seems to be growing every year and Washington State ski resorts are at the forefront with the Cascade Mountain range splitting the state seemingly in half. As the resorts update their facilities from what were cabins in the mountains with a few tow-lines for the diehard skiers to state-of-the-art, full service family facilities, they should be aware of the dangers.

The safety of the resorts should be in the forefront of the designs to assure that the patrons, whether they’re skiers or just out for a relaxing weekend, are protected and able to enjoy their experience without the threat of injury.

Phillips Webster is a full service law firm with decades of successful Personal Injury Litigation. They take the time to fully assess the injured party’s case in order to assure that the victim receives the compensation they deserve. Call us today for a free consultation.

Learn More About:

• Assessing Personal Injury Damages
• Medical Recuperation after a Serious Personal Injury
• Potential Compensation for Your Personal Injury