Utah Ski Laws

Snow sports are a huge part of living in Utah. Thousands of skiers and snowboarders come to Utah to experience the best snow on earth. But, as with any sport there is risk involved. So, what is in place to protect you and your family at Utah ski resorts?

The Utah Inherent Risks of Skiing Act,” provides for skier assumption of the inherent risks of skiing, together with warning and notice posting requirements of operators. Operators remain liable for negligence and must exercise reasonable care in eliminating risks that can be reasonably eliminated”.

Essentially when anyone purchases a pass at any Utah resort they are assuming responsibility for to the risks associated with skiing and agree to follow safety guidelines of the resort. Prior to 2007 the pre-injury waiver also prevented the skier from holding the resorts liable for any injury sustained including those caused by the negligence or other fault of the operator, their agents and employees. However, in 2007 the Utah Supreme Court ruled in favor of a skier who was injured at Snowbird due to negligence by Snowbird. This set a precedence that operators are responsible for eliminating risks that can be eliminated by maintaining lifts, training staff and posting signs to indicate danger. [Source]

Recently, the Salt Lake Tribune published a story examining Utah laws that protect skiers and snowboarders from reckless actions of others on the mountain. In summary:

• Reckless skiing or snowboarding is against the law in Summit and Salt Lake counties. Together, they encompass Deer Valley, Park City Mountain Resort, Canyons Resort, Solitude, Brighton, Snowbird and Alta.
• Summit and Salt Lake county laws forbid hit-and-run accidents at ski resorts
• If a skier or boarder is involved in an accident, they must remain at the scene to make sure others impacted receive proper care.
• If charged with reckless skiing at a Utah resort, the skier could be charged with up to a class B misdemeanor, which carries a maximum six-month jail sentence and $1,000 fine.