Colorado court: Ski resorts not liable for avalanches
Colorado’s top court says ski resorts can’t be held liable for avalanches within their boundaries.
Siding with the ski industry, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled 5-2 on Tuesday that avalanches are among the “inherent dangers of skiing” covered by a law that limits lawsuits against the industry.
The ruling came in a lawsuit brought by the widow of Christopher Norris, who was killed in 2012 after being caught in a slide on a designated run in the Winter Park ski resort. She says it should have been closed because of the high avalanche danger.
The Colorado Ski Safety Act doesn’t specifically mention avalanches as one of skiing’s dangers but the court pointed out that it does limit resorts’ liability for snow conditions.
