Snowboarding Accidents

Snowboarding has grown increasingly popular over the past ten years, and the more people who snowboard, the more accidents there will be on the slopes.  The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) reports in 2008 there were 6.5 million skiers and 5.9 million snowboarders. Statistics show the most likely person to be seriously injured or killed while snowboarding is a male between the ages of 16 and 39, although more and more women are joining the ranks of snowboarders every day. Snowboarders in this age group tend to be risk takers, not just on their boards, but in everything they do.  The high speed and the death-defying tricks are the very dangers that also draw many snowboarders to the sport. According to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) nine snowboarders died while snowboarding in the 2008-2009 season and fifteen were seriously injured (paraplegic, head injuries, etc.).

Snowboarding Risks and Injuries

There are inherent risks in snowboarding and every rider who straps on his boots and hits the slopes assumes those risks.  Snowboarding is a dangerous sport which requires skill and training to perfect.  A rider who heads out onto the hill without training or skill is likely going to get hurt. Whenever a person knowingly participates in an activity which is inherently dangerous, he does so knowing that he might get hurt. Over the years, the law has changed to demand that injured people take some personal responsibility for the injuries they might suffer as a result.  Most snowboarding accidents are one person accidents and involve knee injuries from twisting or falling. Of course there are times when a boarder might be struck by another out-of-control skier/boarder and there may be times when the conditions on the slopes cause the injury, such as a boulder or a patch of ice that isn’t marked. 

Liability for Accidents and Legal Help

While accidents happen and some are entirely due to the lack of experience or skill of the snowboarder, sometimes accidents occur because of the negligence of another boarder or of liability of ski resort for matters such as unsafe snow conditions.  Anyone who acts recklessly on the slopes resulting in an injury should be held accountable for his actions.  If your injury is the result of someone else’s reckless behavior on the slopes, you must report the occurrence to ski patrol and get the name and address of the offender.  Most ski/snowboard areas will revoke a person’s lift ticket after an incident of recklessness so it’s important to get contact information before the person leaves the area. 

It is also possible that an injury could be due to poor maintenance of the slopes or the buildings/property on the ski resort.  If you are injured due to careless maintenance, i.e., ice on the sidewalks, unmarked hazards on the slopes, a faulty chairlift, etc, you should report the incident as soon as possible to an authority at the ski resort and contact and attorney to see what your possible recourse is.  An experienced personal injury attorney can advise you on your options and on the likeliness of a monetary award for your injuries.  It is important to weigh the time and effort you might put into a lawsuit with the possible likely outcomes.