Nipmuc Regional High School's ski team member, John "Jack" Street was killed when he possibly suffered a seizure and fell 25 feet down from a ski chairlift at the Ski Ward ski area, reports the Boston Globe.
Jack Street's death is under investigation by Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.'s office, though from the reports it sounds like the young man suffered a seizure before falling.
The Ski Ward ski area is one of the oldest in the country, having been in operation since 1939.
Sending one’s children out to ski area poses a special dilemma to parents. Ski lift accidents are one of the most common ways people get injured. Obviously many of the accidents can be presumed to be self-inflicted, which would lead to a denial of liability by the ski resort. They will say that you “assumed the risk” by coming and doing a somewhat dangerous activity in the first place.
However, there are many instances in which ski resorts are liable, too.
The legal theories behind ski resorts assuming liability for ski lift accidents is what is known as the “invitee” theory. When people are invited to somebody’s property to do business, the owner assumes a very high a duty make the property safe. This responsibility includes regular inspections to uncover hidden dangers.
If you have been injured at a ski area you may wish to speak to an attorney to discuss the merits of your case. This could include anything from a crash to a ski chairlift accident.
Related Resources:
- Find a Boston Personal Injury attorney (FindLaw)
- A Community Mourns the Loss of Student (Patch)
- Andover School Bullying Stopped by Administrators (FindLaw’s Boston Personal Injury News Blog)
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