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Utah's ski injury law applies to snowboarders too. The Act defines a skier to include a person using a snowboard, a sled, a tube or any other device. Snowboarders face the same rules and the same questions about who, if anyone, is responsible.
Call (801) 255-2102By Nuttall Brown & Coutts
Yes. The Inherent Risks of Skiing Act defines a skier to include anyone in a ski area using a snowboard, sled, tube or other device. Snowboarders face the same rules on inherent risks, terrain parks and collisions as skiers, and the same deadlines apply to any claim.
The Inherent Risks of Skiing Act uses the word "skier" broadly. It includes a person in a ski area who is using skis, a snowboard, a sled, a tube or any other device. So everything this site says about the Act applies equally to riders. The same is true for sledding and tubing inside a ski area.
Common snowboard injuries include wrists, shoulders and heads. Falls often happen forward or backward onto the hands or the back of the head. Catching an edge on hard snow can cause a sudden, hard fall. Riders in terrain parks face jumps and rails. Riders on lifts deal with one foot strapped in while loading and unloading. Many of these injuries are part of the sport and are nobody's legal fault.
The Act lists terrain parks and features like jumps, rails, fun boxes and half pipes as inherent risks, whether natural or built. Terrain parks and features are on the Act's list, so many park injuries will not support a claim against the resort. A feature built or maintained in a way the resort could reasonably have prevented may raise a different question.
Riders are often hit from the blind side, the side they cannot easily see. A skier or rider above them who is moving too fast or not watching may be responsible for a crash. Riders also sit down on runs more than skiers do, which can lead to collisions. As with any collision, the resort is generally not liable for the collision itself, but the person who caused it may be. See skier collisions.
For the Act's full list, see Utah ski law. Snowboard bindings do not release the way ski bindings do, so rental claims for riders are less common. Lessons can raise questions if an instructor took a beginner onto terrain far beyond their ability. See lessons and rentals.
Head injuries can be serious even when a person feels fine at first. If you hit your head, get checked, and tell the doctor about any headaches, dizziness, memory problems or changes in mood afterward. Whether you wore a helmet may come up in a claim, but it does not decide whether someone else was at fault.
Riders are skiers under Utah law, so terrain features and other inherent risks are treated the same way. 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.
