Where Can I Find the Best Ski Accident Lawyers in Ohio?

Speed combined with obstacles can cause serious ski accident injuries. One of the first items on the agenda during a free case evaluation concerns one of our personal injury attorneys documenting every one of your injuries.

Here are the most common types of ski accident injuries.

Knee Damage

Your knees do most of the work when you glide the side of a hill or mountain on a pair of skis. When you make sharp, fast turns, the considerable force placed on your knees can cause strain or torn medial collateral and/or anterior cruciate ligaments. Tearing your MCL and/or ACL ligaments can lead to months of intense rehabilitation sessions. Permanent damage means you cannot return to the slopes to enjoy your favorite cold-weather recreation activity. If you suffered knee damage at a ski resort, you might qualify for monetary damages if the owners of the ski resort failed to uphold the duty of care they are supposed to provide for skiers.

Brain Trauma

Brain trauma represents the most frequent cause of ski accident deaths and severe injuries. If you suffer from brain trauma caused by a ski accident, you might have to deal with a permanent disability that lowers the quality of your life. Although you should wear a helmet while skiing, a defective helmet might not offer the protection you need to withstand a strong impact on your head. If one of our personal injury attorneys determines a defective ski helmet contributed to your brain trauma injury, we might have enough evidence to file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of the ski helmet.

Skier’s Thumb

Tumbling to the ground while on a pair of skis can produce the medical condition called skier’s thumb. The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) stretches far beyond where it should stretch, which results in the partial or complete tear of the ligament. Skier falls often happen because another skier or snowboarder committed one or more acts of negligence. Although you should quickly release your grip on the ski pole, you might not have enough time to make the maneuver.

Defective Ski Lift

A ski lift that is improperly operated or maintained can cause a serious ski accident. Skiers riding faulty ski lifts might land on unstable ground or worse, fall from a substantial height. Victims of a ski lift accident can suffer life-threatening injuries, as well as injuries that require years of physical therapy sessions. Spinal cord injuries represent the most common type of injury associated with ski lift accidents. Either the ski venue or the manufacturer of the gondola car can assume legal liability for the malfunctioning of a ski lift.

One of the most important responsibilities for Ohio ski accident lawyers involves determining the cause of a ski accident. If you suffered injuries that were caused by a ski accident, your personal injury attorney will investigate the accident to discover what caused it. The Ohio ski accident lawyers from Morgan & Morgan have established a list of the most common causes of ski accidents.

Collisions

Collisions rank near the top of the list for the most common cause of ski accidents. Whether you struck an obstacle or another skier, you might have a strong enough case to file a civil lawsuit. However, not all ski collisions involve legal liability assigned to another party. Some skiers take risks they should not take and the result is a ski collision that generates several injuries. The National Ski Areas Association has created a Responsibility Code that can help you establish fault for the filing of a ski accident lawsuit.

Many factors play a role in causing a ski collision, with alcohol and lack of training representing the most common causes.

Improperly Maintained Resort

Ski resort owners have a duty of care to prevent ski accidents from occurring on their properties. One of the most common examples of poorly maintained ski slopes concerns the lack of adequate care taken to maintain the slopes. Misleading or lack of signs also contributes to a poorly maintained ski resort. If you believe a ski resort should be held legally liable for causing you harm, you should immediately contact one of the Ohio ski accident attorneys at Morgan & Morgan.

Faulty Equipment

Manufacturers of ski equipment have a legal obligation to protect skiers. For example, a ski helmet that you purchase should prevent you from experiencing brain trauma under the standards of reasonable skiing conduct. From ski poles that break to skis that do not offer enough traction to make turns, the injuries suffered from a ski accident might be the fault of the ski equipment manufacturer.

Understanding how to handle a ski accident goes a long way in determining the outcome of an insurance claim and civil lawsuit. The first thing to do is seek medical care if you suffered serious injuries. If you feel up to it, remain at the scene of the accident and complete each of the following steps. However, you should have a physician examine your injuries, even if they appear to be minor.

Contact Ski Patrol

Ski resorts employ ski patrol specialists that respond to accidents. Contacting the ski patrol unit at the resort or public venue where you got hurt starts the investigation of the accident. The report created by the ski patrol is a highly influential document when it comes to determining legal liability.

Document the Ski Accident

When you meet with one of our Ohio ski accident lawyers, you need to bring evidence that you gathered and organized. Photos of the accident scene can indicate the cause of the accident, as well as determine whether negligence played a role in causing you harm. Write down the sequence of events leading up to the ski accident to help your personal injury attorney determine which party should assume legal liability.

Meet With a Personal Injury Attorney

Working with one of the best Ohio ski accident lawyers can help you build a strong enough insurance claim and a civil lawsuit. Your personal injury lawyer examines the evidence you have collected before suggesting how you should proceed with your case. Dealing with an insurance company by yourself can lead to the denial of your claim. A personal injury attorney ensures you file the proper paperwork for a civil lawsuit before the expiration of the statute of limitations. In Ohio, you have two years to file a civil lawsuit for a ski accident case.

Finding the best Ohio ski accidents lawyers starts at home, before you might have to branch out for some online research.

Tap Into Your Personal and Professional Networks

The best advertising for finding one of the best Ohio ski accident lawyers is word-of-mouth advertising. Ask trusted friends and family members for recommendations. First, you want to ask for recommendations that direct you to personal injury attorneys. Then, narrow your search for recommended personal injury attorneys that handle ski accident cases. If your innermost network cannot help you with a recommendation, ask for a recommendation from neighbors and professional colleagues. Reach out to any attorneys you know as well.

Ohio Bar Association

If you cannot get a recommendation from someone you know, visit the Ohio Bar Association website to conduct research. Access the Legal Help page, which provides visitors with several different ways to find the right attorney. You want to work with a personal injury lawyer who has compiled an impressive record of winning favorable legal judgments for clients. By using the Ohio Bar Association for research, you can eliminate attorneys who have received disciplinary action for violating a standard of conduct.

Contact the Best Ohio Ski Accident Lawyers

We encourage you to read the client reviews left on sites such as Yelp and Facebook to get a better idea of why Morgan & Morgan is considered one of the best personal injury law firms in the United States. Many of our client reviews praise the commitment we make to operate with integrity and transparency. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has given us the highly-coveted reputation rating of A+.

Schedule a free consultation today with one of the Ohio ski accident lawyers at Morgan & Morgan.