A ski accident can turn a good day serious in a second. If you or someone you love was hurt in a ski accident at a Utah ski area, you may have questions about who is responsible, what Utah law says and what to do next. We can talk it through with you for free. Every case is different, and some injuries are not anyone's legal fault.
Call (801) 255-2102Most people who call us never expected to need a lawyer. They went skiing or riding, something went wrong, and now there are medical bills, missed work and a long recovery. Some were hit from behind by a stranger who skied away. Some fell from a lift chair. Some were hurt by rented gear that did not release, or in a lesson that went badly. Others are family members of someone who did not come home.
Utah has its own law for ski injuries. It protects ski areas from claims based on the ordinary dangers of the sport, like changing snow, trees, terrain features and collisions with other skiers. That means many ski injuries do not lead to a claim against the resort. But the law does not cover everything. A claim may exist against another skier who caused a crash, against a company that rented or adjusted equipment, or in some situations where the danger was not part of the sport at all. Sorting out which is which is the first question.
Collisions are a listed inherent risk as to the resort, but the person who hit you is a separate question.
Falls, loading and unloading problems, and lift equipment.
Riders are covered by the same Utah law as skiers.
When the issue may be something other than an inherent risk of the sport.
Binding settings, rental paperwork and instruction.
What the Inherent Risks of Skiing Act says.
What a release may and may not mean in Utah.
Hurt in Utah and now back home.
A checklist for the first days and weeks.
A lawyer may help you understand whether Utah law allows a claim, who might be responsible, and how insurance could apply. A lawyer may also help you save evidence before it disappears. Ski patrol reports, lift records, rental forms and witness names can be hard to find later. A lawyer can talk through what to look for in your situation and what your options may be.
Utah's time limits can be short, sometimes a year or less, so call soon. Deadlines can end a claim even when the facts are strong.
This site is published by Nuttall Brown & Coutts (opens in new tab), a personal injury law firm in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Our lawyers are licensed in Utah. We review ski and resort injury cases that happen in Utah, for Utah residents and for visitors. A first conversation is free. You pay no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.*
*You may still be responsible for case costs; see your fee agreement.
Scott D. Brown is a lawyer at Nuttall Brown & Coutts. He was admitted to practice in Utah in 1984.
Full bio on nuttallbrown.com (opens in new tab)
Brian S. Coutts is a lawyer at Nuttall Brown & Coutts. He was admitted to practice in Utah in 1998.
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Tyler J. Brown is a lawyer at Nuttall Brown & Coutts. He was admitted to practice in Utah in 2015.
Full bio on nuttallbrown.com (opens in new tab)This review is from a client of Nuttall Brown & Coutts in a Utah personal injury matter, not a ski or resort case.
Questions after a ski or resort injury?
Hurt at a Utah ski area, or caring for someone who was? Tell us what happened and ask for a free review. You decide what happens next.
