Are resorts responsible for neglegent injuries? - Snowboarding Forum

Extremo · 03-26-2013, 04:59 PM

I was reading a Wired mag today and came across this referenced article in which a skier was awarded $14 million for getting paralyzed after hitting a poorly designed jump. Anyone think it's the resorts responsibility to ensure jumps are engineered?

Quote:

After a five-week trial, a King County jury on Friday awarded $14 million to a 27-year-old skier who was paralyzed after dropping 37 feet from a ski jump at the Summit at Snoqualmie.

Kenny Salvini, of Lake Tapps, was 23 years old when he went off the jump at the Central Terrain Park at Snoqualmie Central and landed on compact snow and ice in February 2004, said his attorney, Jack Connelly.

During the trial at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, "information came out ... that the man who built [the jump] eyeballed it with a Sno-Cat" rather than engineering a design, Connelly said.

Engineers and an aeronautics professor from the University of California, Davis, testified that the jump was improperly designed and featured a short landing area, Connelly said, adding that ski jumps are supposed to be sloped so that energy from a vertical jump is transferred into a skier's forward motion on landing.

"Going off this jump was the equivalent of jumping off a three-story building," Connelly said. "If you're going to be throwing kids 37 feet in the air, these jumps need to be engineered, designed and constructed properly."

Local News | Jury gives $14 million to skier paralyzed at Snoqualmie | Seattle Times Newspaper

Casual · 03-26-2013, 05:14 PM

I would feel a lot safer in the parks if they were regulated and inspected to meet standards. I don't think each hill needs to hire an engineer, but rather engineers design approved standards that the hills build to. Consistancy between parks would be nice and that would acheive that to some extent. What I don't agree with is these ridiculousd law suits, I don't know the story but maybe this guy had no business hitting this jump and it would not have mattered how it was built, he was going to get hurt. The problem with regulating it is a lot of parks would have a hard time building the features and in the end the riders in a lot of areas would suffer the effect of more limited parks and higher lift ticket prices.

BigmountainVMD · 03-26-2013, 05:48 PM

I feel like if he had properly inspected the jump before hitting it, LIKE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, then it never would of happened.

poutanen · 03-26-2013, 05:53 PM

^^^ Couldn't agree with Casual's post more. (You too VD lol)

I'd love to see more hills get properly designed jumps, at the same time I think the onus is on the rider to scout anything before jumping it.

What about the in-bounds cliffs that people jump off? None of them are "engineered". Some of them have rock fields in the landing zones!

I'm not sure how to get more resorts building carefully constructed jumps. Seems it's up to the park guys to build what they feel like, Lake Louise just seems to get it really right. Watched my buddy to that big step up the other day and I cringed at how fast he hit it. Landed right on top of the damn jump and rode away.

I think you could safely hit that jump anywhere from 30-90 km/h and not get seriously hurt.

BigmountainVMD · 03-26-2013, 06:04 PM

I used to ride Snoqualmie and the only attraction at the mountain was the park. I find it hard to believe whoever made it did not know what they were doing.

BurtonAvenger · 03-26-2013, 06:08 PM

The problem with snow is it's always changing. Jump in the morning is different mid day and definitely different in the afternoon. There's a reason that resorts have mountain safety coordinators or directors that inspect everything.

CassMT · 03-26-2013, 06:14 PM

after 5 weeks and a full jury trial, i have to trust that, in this case, the mountain and that park worker were truly negligent somehow

tj_ras · 03-26-2013, 06:17 PM

I think even if a set standard was made for jumps and features its still the person building it that really has the final "say". it could still end up with sketchy features, safer maybe but without a profesional to be there to take the time to make it or ok it it most likely will never be "to the standard".

I believe it all comes down solely to rider error, just becuase it was man made doesnt mean its safe. As said it should always be up to the rider to check out what they are hitting and declare it "safe" for themselves. However in this day and age, everything and anything will turn into a lawsuit if theres a way becuase nobody likes to take responsibility for there actions(disclaimer: im aware some situations are different then others).

ThunderChunky · 03-26-2013, 06:24 PM

No, this is so annoying. For years our resort made hits that you couldn't overshoot. So you bombed it and barely made it. They did this because incompetent retards who wanted to be cool riding in the park when they had no business being there would get hurt on them. This scared them to the point of making things with idiots in mind first and riders in control, experience, and passion to progress second. They have been gravitating away lately and it's been nice. Just is now a huge gap from beginner features to advanced shit. Still sweetest set up around though.

Jollybored · 03-26-2013, 06:26 PM

I thought that when you purchased a ticket/pass that there was a liability waiver?

In any case these law suits are getting out of hand - putting yourself into that situation and blaming someone else for it.

Quote:

The full jury award was for about $31 million, Connelly said, explaining that the amount was decreased to $14 million after calculating "the comparative fault" of his client and "the inherent risk of the sport."

Next thing you know, all the mountains start removing all "features" in fear of liability....

03-26-2013, 05:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
Casual Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Edmonton Posts: 457	I would feel a lot safer in the parks if they were regulated and inspected to meet standards. I don't think each hill needs to hire an engineer, but rather engineers design approved standards that the hills build to. Consistancy between parks would be nice and that would acheive that to some extent. What I don't agree with is these ridiculousd law suits, I don't know the story but maybe this guy had no business hitting this jump and it would not have mattered how it was built, he was going to get hurt. The problem with regulating it is a lot of parks would have a hard time building the features and in the end the riders in a lot of areas would suffer the effect of more limited parks and higher lift ticket prices. __________________ ...

03-26-2013, 06:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
BurtonAvenger Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mountains Posts: 8,031	The problem with snow is it's always changing. Jump in the morning is different mid day and definitely different in the afternoon. There's a reason that resorts have mountain safety coordinators or directors that inspect everything. __________________ Angry Snowboarder Because someone has to call it how they see it!

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

03-26-2013, 05:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
BigmountainVMD Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 688	I feel like if he had properly inspected the jump before hitting it, LIKE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, then it never would of happened.

03-26-2013, 05:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
poutanen Resident Creep-o-saurus Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Calgary, AB Posts: 3,473	^^^ Couldn't agree with Casual's post more. (You too VD lol) I'd love to see more hills get properly designed jumps, at the same time I think the onus is on the rider to scout anything before jumping it. What about the in-bounds cliffs that people jump off? None of them are "engineered". Some of them have rock fields in the landing zones! I'm not sure how to get more resorts building carefully constructed jumps. Seems it's up to the park guys to build what they feel like, Lake Louise just seems to get it really right. Watched my buddy to that big step up the other day and I cringed at how fast he hit it. Landed right on top of the damn jump and rode away. I think you could safely hit that jump anywhere from 30-90 km/h and not get seriously hurt.

03-26-2013, 06:04 PM	#5 (permalink)
BigmountainVMD Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 688	I used to ride Snoqualmie and the only attraction at the mountain was the park. I find it hard to believe whoever made it did not know what they were doing.

03-26-2013, 06:14 PM	#7 (permalink)
CassMT -PREMIUM MEMBER- Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Whitefish MT Posts: 462	after 5 weeks and a full jury trial, i have to trust that, in this case, the mountain and that park worker were truly negligent somehow

03-26-2013, 06:17 PM	#8 (permalink)
tj_ras -LIFETIME MEMBER- Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 502	I think even if a set standard was made for jumps and features its still the person building it that really has the final "say". it could still end up with sketchy features, safer maybe but without a profesional to be there to take the time to make it or ok it it most likely will never be "to the standard". I believe it all comes down solely to rider error, just becuase it was man made doesnt mean its safe. As said it should always be up to the rider to check out what they are hitting and declare it "safe" for themselves. However in this day and age, everything and anything will turn into a lawsuit if theres a way becuase nobody likes to take responsibility for there actions(disclaimer: im aware some situations are different then others).