Runaway equipment

[fatbob]

Skiing with @Tony Monday at Kirkwood came close to being decapitated by a loose bouncing ski coming down Sentinel Bowl ( steep groomer quite bumpy with new snow) bouncing up to around head level. It was a rental and the brakes totally failed to engage.

A guy totally put of his depth came sliding down and we recommended he got back to the rental shop pronto to get skis where the brakes would pop out.

Question is if I or anyone else had been seriously injured would we have a legal remedy? Against the guy for skiing simething well beyond his ability? Against VR for issuing equipment not appropriately equipped with safety features? Or just another hazard of skiing?

 

[Bill Miles]

My non-lawyer opinion: probably not against the person, maybe against the area/shop.

 

[anders_nor]

I witnessed a snowboarder loose his board down the slope were most of the kids/beginners ski 2-3 days ago.... its steep enough to do 60kmh there...

 

[jt10000]

I witnessed a snowboarder loose his board down the slope were most of the kids/beginners ski 2-3 days ago.... its steep enough to do 60kmh there...

I still remember seeing a loose snowboard flying downhill at Mountain Creek four or five years ago. Not good. No one was hurt, but it was scary.

 

[Bill Miles]

Back in the old days, I remember a number of occasions of everybody yelling "ski, ski" from the chairlift.

 

[slowrider]

A free ski really shows how aerodynamic they are.

 

[wiread]

Maybe the shop, not the skier. But then you'd have to prove they have a history of renting faulty equipment or could have reasonably know they'd fail. But it's been a long time since i've seen a run a way ski. Have seen a couple snowboards in the past 2 seasons.

 

[Paul Lutes]

And brakes aren't going to stop everything. Lose a ski at speed on a steep hill and it's gone no matter how good the brakes. Lost a ski with brakes on a blue run with soft snow and couldn't find it; a week later got a call from lost and found saying that a patroller (bless their heart) found it in a tree well down hill.

 

[fatbob]

The brakes were fully retracted and didn't seem wide enough for the ski so they hadn't even tried to pop out which I think is negligence by the rental shop.And the ski was cartwheeling down the slope which suggested it had run for some distance then launched.

Fortunately it's a thought experiment not a real life severe injury or death we're dealing with.

 

[motogreg]

sheesh right away to the litigation. 'merica, i guess. Bike trails are closing, are ski hills next?

 

[fatbob]

As I said thought experiment given on a pitch like that for life changing injuries like spinal or severed artery.....

 

[Tricia]

Skiing with @Tony Monday at Kirkwood came close to being decapitated by a loose bouncing ski coming down Sentinel Bowl ( steep groomer quite bumpy with new snow) bouncing up to around head level. It was a rental and the brakes totally failed to engage.

A guy totally put of his depth came sliding down and we recommended he got back to the rental shop pronto to get skis where the brakes would pop out.

Question is if I or anyone else had been seriously injured would we have a legal remedy? Against the guy for skiing simething well beyond his ability? Against VR for issuing equipment not appropriately equipped with safety features? Or just another hazard of skiing?

So much about this screams that the skier was on terrain that he/she was not capable of skiing and also the rental shop needs to check the skis.


Bummer that you had to deal with that.