Round Rock Ski Accident Lawyers

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Every year, millions of skiers and snowboarders hit the slopes in search of fresh powder. This is even true for Texans, who have several world-class ski resorts just a state or two away. While skiing and snowboarding are very popular wintertime activities, it is important to remember that they are extreme sports. As such, they come with a certain amount of risk, especially when dealing with things like novice skiers, snowboarders, or poorly maintained runs. Zinda Law Group‘s Round Rock ski accident lawyers are here to help.

If you or a family member has been injured in a snowboard accident or ski accident, call (800) 863-5312 today to speak with one of our Round Rock ski accident lawyers.

Steps to take after a ski or snowboard accident

After being injured in an accident at a ski resort, it can be difficult to know what to do. You may suspect that your injuries were someone else’s fault, but there are several steps toward recovering compensation in the legal process. Here are a few things that ski or snowboard accident victims should do after an accident to aid in recovery:

Get Medical Attention if Necessary

Skiers and snowboarders can be at risk of some pretty substantial injuries. Given the oftentimes remote nature of ski resorts, it can be difficult to get off the slopes and find treatment quickly. Thus, getting medical attention should be the number one priority after a ski accident if injured. For one, some injuries may get worse if left untreated, so having a medical professional examine them quickly can mitigate harm. Importantly,, an opposing party may try to make the argument that your injuries aren’t that serious or are unrelated to the accident if a long period of time has gone by between the date of the accident and seeing a doctor, so seeking medical attention may undermine their argument.

Gather Information

If you are able, begin to gather information about your accident and document it as thoroughly as you can as soon as possible after it occurs. When it comes to pursuing compensation after you have been injured in a ski accident, it is far preferable to have more information than you need rather than too little. To start, get the contact information of the other parties involved in the accident, as well as any witnesses who may have been present at the scene. Be courteous while gathering this information but remember that there is no need to discuss the case in detail or admit fault.

Next, gather all of the evidence possible in order to document the scene as thoroughly as you can. This can include taking pictures of the scene and the equipment involved, as well as taking notes as to the weather, conditions of the slope, and any other factor that may have contributed to the crash.

Speak with a Round Rock Ski Injury Lawyer

Speaking with an experienced ski accident attorney soon after your injuries occur is critical. For starters, there are time limits when filing an injury claim, and the clock starts ticking as soon as you sustain your injuries. Talking with a personal injury lawyer as soon as you can helps to ensure that your case is not dismissed simply because of a delay.

common causes of ski accidents

Ski and snowboard accidents can have a variety of causes. Because no two accidents that caused skier injuries are exactly the same, no two claims for compensation based on these injuries will be exactly the same either. Determining who is responsible in each situation will help to determine who might be liable for the injuries of a skier or snowboarder, and ultimately, who may be liable to pay damages to the injured party.

Faulty Equipment

While the average skier or snowboarder may not think about it much, everyone who is enjoying the slopes is putting a lot of faith into not only their own equipment, but also the equipment of those around them. Equipment that is broken, poorly made, or not equipped properly can cause a rider to collide with another rider, often with devastating consequences. Safety equipment like helmets, if defective in some way, can exacerbate an injury if they fail to perform as intended. In cases like this, the party that sold or manufactured the faulty piece of equipment could potentially be liable to compensate the injured party.

Read More: Product Liability Lawyers

Novice Riders

Skiing and snowboarding can be very difficult as a beginner, and some riders may not anticipate this steep learning curve. Most ski resorts will offer some form of lessons or training, but they are typically not a requirement. In fact, anyone who buys a lift pass is allowed to give it a shot. Given the crowded nature of some of the more popular ski resorts, these novice riders can cause collisions, and ultimately, serious injury.

Likewise, even experienced riders may cause an accident by trying a trick that they are not totally prepared for or skiing on terrain at high speeds. Whatever the exact cause, a rider who causes an injury of someone else at a ski resort may be held liable for harm.

Lift Accidents

To get to the top of runs, skiers and snowboarders use large, mechanical ski lifts. Ski resorts are required to properly maintain these huge pieces of machinery in good working order, which includes having competent staff on hand to be able to deal with any problems that may come up during operation. However, when these lifts malfunction, it can cause serious injuries to those around them. Speaking with a Round Rock injury attorney and discussing the particular cause of your accident is the best way to learn more about claim and the next steps in the legal process.

Demanding compensation after a snowboard or ski accident

After you have been injured in an accident, you may be able to recover the costs of that injury through a personal injury claim. Depending on the severity of your injury, there  you may be able to pursue several types of compensation. While speaking with a personal injury lawyer is going to be the most effective way to determine exactly what your compensable losses are, there a few general categories that accident victims may be able to recover from:

Economic Damages

Economic damages are the actual monetary costs of your injury. They are things that can typically be proven with a receipt or bill. For example, economic costs can include things like medical bills, damage to your equipment, and even wages that you miss from being unable to go to work because of your injury.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are the damages that are intended to compensate a victim for the mental and emotional toll that an accident and subsequent injures have taken on their life. While economic damages can usually be tied to some sort of concrete evidence like a bill or receipt, non-economic damages are a bit more difficult to quantify. That doesn’t mean, however, that they are any less real to the accident victims who are experiencing them. Talking with Round Rock ski accident lawyers will give you a better idea of what to expect in terms of actual dollar amounts.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are a category of damages that is only available in a smaller subset of personal injury cases. While economic and non-economic damages are typically focused on making the victim whole after they are injured, punitive damages serve a different purpose by punishing the wrongdoer and serving as a warning to others in the same position to not act in the same way. Whereas most personal injury cases deal with negligence, punitive damages are typically reserved for cases where the wrongdoer acted purposefully or recklessly.

who is liable for my injuries?

In order to recover financially for your injuries, there has to be a liable party to recover from. In snowboard and ski accident cases, establishing this liability will typically be done by proving that another party acted negligently. Negligence is a legal term that is comprised of four key concepts.

First, the other party must have had a duty to act in a certain way. For example, skiers must make every effort not put those around them in danger. Next, the allegedly negligent party must have breached that duty. After establishing duty and breach, the party seeking damages needs to show causation, which means being able to link the negligent behavior directly to the injuries the victim sustained. Finally, the victim must be able to show that they have actual damages.

Negligence forms the backbone of many personal injury cases, but depending on the circumstances of a given case, but establishing it can look vastly different. Proving negligence also depends on the type of defendant in your case which may be the following::

Other Skiers or Snowboarders

People at ski resorts assume a certain amount of risk that they will be hurt while skiing or snowboarding. This may include colliding into someone else on the slopes. However, skiers and snowboarders must exercise a certain level of care, and those who are not exercising this level of caution may cause an accident by going too fast or trying to do something that they should have known they didn’t have the skill level to do. In cases like these, it is potentially possible to hold another skier or snowboarder liable for your injuries.

The Ski Resort

As stated before, skiers and snowboarders assume a certain amount of risk of injury. Additionally, many ski resorts will require participants to sign a waiver of liability before they buy their lift ticket.. However, a resort cannot absolve themselves of all potential liability by having riders sign a waiver before participating. In some cases, a resort may be liable for an accident that was caused by a staff member or the run conditions. A Round Rock ski injury lawyer can help you determine what a waiver does and does not preclude a claim for.

Equipment Manufacturers and Distributers

Sometimes, accidents happen as a result of a piece of faulty equipment. For example, when a piece of equipment is poorly designed, or there was a defect in the manufacturing process. It is also possible that a distributor or retailer could share in the liability if they were somehow negligent in their handling or sale of the product. Ultimately, riders at ski resorts trust that their equipment was competently made and is free from defects. If this is not the case, then a manufacturer, distributor, or retailer could share in the blame for any resulting injury.

Call zinda law group today at (800) 863-5312 for a 100% free consultation with Round Rock ski accident lawyers

A ski injury can turn a vacation of a lifetime into a nightmare in the blink of an eye. What should be an enjoyable activity can lead to devastating consequences due to the negligence of others. Unfortunately for victims, dealing with the injury itself is only one component of what makes an injury stressful. However, finding the right personal injury lawyer can help you get your life back on track.

The round rock injury attorneys at the Zinda Law Group have the necessary experience and access to resources to be able to help you pursue your claim. In addition, you won’t pay us anything until we win your case. That’s our No Win, No Fee Guarantee.

Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.