Home › Injured on a Utah ski trip and back home now
Many people hurt at Utah ski areas live somewhere else. You may have flown home in pain, with a stack of paperwork and no idea what happens next. Because the injury happened in Utah, Utah law usually controls the key questions, and Utah's deadlines apply.
Call (801) 255-2102By Nuttall Brown & Coutts
Yes. Leaving Utah does not end a claim, but Utah law and Utah deadlines usually apply. Our lawyers are licensed in Utah and handle injuries that happened in Utah, and much of the early work can be done by phone and email. Keep your Utah medical records, receipts and ski paperwork.
The Inherent Risks of Skiing Act, the rules on releases, and Utah's time limits generally apply to injuries at Utah ski areas, no matter where the injured person lives. A claim connected to a Utah ski injury is usually handled in Utah. Our lawyers are licensed in Utah and our office is in Cottonwood Heights.
You do not need to come back to Utah to talk with us. We can review what happened by phone or video, and much of the work on a case can be done by phone, email and mail. If a case goes forward, there may be times when your presence matters, and a lawyer can explain when that may happen.
Many visitors get first treatment at a clinic at the base or a hospital in the valley, then follow up with doctors at home. Keep the records from both. Ask for copies of anything from the Utah clinic or hospital before you leave, if you can, or request them soon after. Tell each doctor how the injury happened.
A ski injury on a trip can bring costs beyond medical bills: changed flights, lost lodging, a cut-short vacation, time off work at home, and help at home while you recover. Keep receipts and notes. Some of these losses may be part of a claim, depending on the facts.
Your own health insurance usually pays first for treatment. Travel insurance may cover some trip costs. If another skier caused the crash, their homeowner's or renter's insurance may cover liability. Rideshares, shuttles and rental cars bring their own coverage. A lawyer may help you sort out which policies apply and in what order.
Sometimes a case has parts that involve another state, such as an at-fault skier who lives elsewhere or an insurance company based in another state. If a case needs a lawyer licensed somewhere else, we may work with a local attorney licensed in that state, as allowed by local rules, and only with your written consent. We do not have offices outside Utah.
Going home does not stop Utah's clock. Utah's time limits can be short, sometimes a year or less, so call soon.
Utah's ski law applies to visitors the same way it applies to residents. Whether something else was involved depends on the facts. A lawyer can review them with you.
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.
