Another winter is upon us, and many adventurous Connecticut residents are getting out and enjoying their favorite cold weather activities. While sports played in the snow and on the ice can be exhilarating, they have a high risk of hazards. In fact, more than 1 million Americans were hurt in winter sports during the past decade.
Speed is one of the defining features that all five of these activities share. As a result, collisions are frequent, whether it’s a collision with another person or a collision with the ground or ice.
Head injuries are the most common type of harm suffered in winter sports. There were nearly 234,000 head injuries – including tens of thousands of concussions and traumatic brain injuries – during the study period. Other common winter sports injuries included:
Shoulder injuries, including labrum tears, dislocations and damaged rotator cuffs
Wrist injuries, ranging from broken wrists to severe sprains and strains
Knee injuries, such as ACL, MCL and PCL tears, dislocations, meniscus tears and patella fractures
Perhaps not surprising, young people suffered a higher share of injuries in winter activities. Participants in their teens and 20s together accounted for 64 percent of all injuries during the last decade. Researchers say this could be due to young people’s relative lack of experience or their willingness to take more risks while playing these sports.
When you get hurt playing a winter sport, you may be able to seek compensation through a personal injury claim. However, there are potential hurdles to overcome. For example, under Connecticut law, ski/snowboarding resort owners and operators are immune from most liability claims for injuries. Even when resort employees created a dangerous condition on the ski/snowboarding run, immunity applies so long as the condition was a byproduct of snowmaking, snow grooming or rescue operations.
However, if your injury was caused by defective equipment, you could have a stronger case. Design or manufacturing defects could cause skis to bend or break apart or cause blades to separate from skates, leading to serious injuries. In addition, other winter sports venues, like hockey and skating rinks for example, have no similar immunity.
If you were injured in a winter sport and you think someone else may have been at fault, contact the injury lawyers at Gesmonde, Pietrosimone & Sgrignari, L.L.C. Our experienced attorneys can assess the situation and explain any legal options you may have. Call 203-745-0942 or send us an email to speak with our team in Hamden or East Haven.
Gesmonde, Pietrosimone & Sgrignari, L.L.C. is located in Hamden, CT and serves clients in and around North Haven, Hamden, Waterbury, Bethany, Milford, Wallingford, Prospect, Woodbridge, Northford, Madison, Beacon Falls, Branford, Cheshire, North Branford, East Haven, Naugatuck, Meriden, Ansonia and New Haven County.
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