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Losing someone in a ski or resort accident is devastating. If you are a family member with questions, we are here to listen, at your pace. Utah law gives certain family members the right to bring a claim when a death is caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another, and it sets time limits.
Call (801) 255-2102By Nuttall Brown & Coutts
Utah's time limits can be short, sometimes a year or less, so call soon. Because deadlines can pass quickly during grief, it helps to get advice early, even if you are not ready to decide anything.
Families usually call weeks or months after a death, once the shock has eased enough to ask questions. They want to know what happened, whether it could have been prevented, and whether anyone is responsible. Sometimes the answer is that the death came from an inherent risk of the sport, which Utah law does not allow as a claim against the ski area. Sometimes there are other questions worth looking into. A lawyer can review the facts with you.
Utah's time limits can be short, sometimes a year or less, so call soon. These deadlines can pass quickly during grief, so it helps to get advice early even if you are not ready to decide anything.
The Act's bar on inherent-risk claims generally applies when a death results. Deaths from collisions with trees, terrain features, or other skiers are, as to the ski area, generally within the Act's list of inherent risks, although a danger on the list is not always inherent. A claim might exist against another skier whose careless conduct caused a death, or in a situation involving something outside the sport. Every case depends on its facts.
Families often want answers more than anything else. Ski patrol reports, witness statements, medical examiner and police records, lift records and the person's equipment can help explain what happened. Keep any equipment the person used. A lawyer can ask the resort and others to preserve records.
Utah law decides which family members, or a representative, may bring a claim. Utah law also decides how any recovery is shared. If the person who died lived in another state, other questions may come up. We explain these rules in a private conversation.
We do not pressure families. A first conversation is free, and we keep what you tell us private as our professional rules require. You can call, or a trusted friend or family member can call for you. A lawyer can listen, explain the law in plain terms, and you decide what to do. You pay no attorney fee unless we recover money for you.*
*You may still be responsible for case costs; see your fee agreement.
The Act's bar on inherent-risk claims generally applies when a death results. 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.
