Skiing Injuries Abroad Claims

Winter sports will never be risk-free and unfortunately not every hazard on the slopes can be accounted for when conditions become dangerous. Operators and local municipalities will usually be under a duty to ensure that their slopes are in a suitable state to keep these risks to a minimum.

The possible dangers that piste operators should warn skiers and snowboarders of include:

• Poor slope conditions
• Avalanches
• Serious weather conditions.

Piste operators will also usually have a duty to maintain and mark slopes correctly.

If skiers and snowboarders aren't made aware of the risks from conditions or if routes aren’t properly managed by operators, the consequences could be serious and even fatal.

If you have been injured because of negligent management or insufficient warnings or you know someone who has, you could pursue a claim against the local municipality, as well as those in charge of the ski area.

There will be different rules around off-piste skiing from country to country and even from resort to resort within the same country.

Depending on what happened and where, you may be able to make a claim if you were injured off-piste.

If you are unsure about whether you can make a claim because you were off-piste at the time of your accident, then call us for a free consultation. We’ll discuss your accident and advise you on whether or not we think you have a case.

Less experienced skiers shouldn’t be put in situations where they’re out of their depth. As well as ensuring that classes contain skiers of a similar ability, instructors should select a slope that is the right level of difficulty for their students.

Ski instructors have a responsibility to provide sufficient guidance on a suitable slope. If you suffer an injury because of an oversight on their part, you could recover compensation in a claim against the tour operator the lesson was booked through or the instructor’s employers or insurers.

To begin your skiing injury claim for compensation, contact us as soon as possible. The time limit for making a skiing injury claim in the UK is three years, starting from the date the accident took place. This time limit doesn’t apply to people under 18 years old or people who lack the mental capacity to make their own claim.

The time limits for making a compensation claim can vary wildly in different countries. For this reason, it’s always best to start making your claim as soon as possible after your accident.

We’ll set up a free initial consultation with a solicitor so you can explain what happened to you and we will then advise you if you can make a claim. There’s no obligation to go any further than this.

If you wish to pursue your claim with us, our first step will be to gather all the evidence available to back up your claim. Evidence we may use includes:

• Witness statements
• Medical records
• Receipts
• Accident reports
• Independent medical professional opinions
• CCTV or photographic evidence, if available.

We will then inform the individual or party responsible for your injuries that we intend to claim against them. If they accept blame, we will work to get you interim payments, which are made ahead of your claim being settled and can pay for ongoing treatment or loss of earnings.

However, if they dispute blame or how much compensation we claim for, we may need to start court proceedings.

We will always try to keep your claim out of court to keep stress to a minimum, but if we do need to go to court, we will do all we can to make you feel comfortable and prepared. Claims can still be settled out of court even if trial dates have already been set.

Even if your accident or illness occurred abroad, you can often make a claim here in the UK, though this will vary depending on your circumstances. For example, if you suffered an accident while staying in a hotel as part of a package holiday, you should be able to make a claim against the tour operator here in the UK. You can also usually claim in the UK if you are claiming against an individual insurer or employer that is based in the UK or a business or insurer based in the EU.

The law around compensation is different in each country, so we will consider where it would be best to make your claim to get the best possible result for you.

You can still make a compensation claim if you are still abroad. It's vital that you contact us as soon as possible to ensure you get your claim started within the relevant time limits. If your ski accident has resulted in a hospital stay in another country, we can begin working on your claim while you are still there. You can advise us on the best way to contact you while abroad and you can update this once back in the UK if you need to.