Common Ski Injuries in Colorado
Skiing is one of Colorado’s favorite winter pastimes, but it also comes with risks. Every season, skiers suffer serious injuries that can lead to hospital visits, surgery, and long-term rehabilitation. Understanding the most common ski injuries can help you stay safe on the slopes and know what to do if an accident happens.
If your ski injury was caused by another person’s carelessness or faulty equipment, you may be able to file a personal injury claim. Taking legal action can help you recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Common Skiing Injuries in Colorado
Being in a ski accident can mean facing everything from broken bones to traumatic brain injuries.
Bone Fractures
Whether you’re a new or experienced skier, falling is always a possibility. Although the snow may appear soft, you can still land hard, leading to simple stress fractures or more complex issues, such as comminuted fractures.
Aside from incurring significant medical expenses, you may be unable to use the affected body part for months. You may even develop chronic pain or experience a limited range of motion.
Knee Injuries
The movements required for skiing, including rapid changes in direction, can strain your knee ligaments. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are among the most common injuries you can suffer while skiing. These are very painful injuries that can require surgery, leaving you unable to walk for weeks or months while you recover.
Shoulder Injuries
Another common type of ski injury involves the shoulders. You can suffer a rotator cuff tear if you fall or strike other objects. It’s also possible to dislocate your shoulder, which is very painful and requires medical care.
Brain Injuries
Common ski injuries also include traumatic brain injuries. These occur so frequently because there is no state-wide helmet law for skiers in Colorado. If you hit your head and your brain shifts or twists, or if something pierces your skull, you can suffer chemical changes that impact cognitive function and even your personality.
Concussions are the mildest of these injuries, but suffering them repeatedly puts you at risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy. This is a devastating condition that causes permanent brain damage.
Spinal Injuries
Twisting and turning movements during a fall or a direct strike to your back could result in injuries to your spine. These can leave you with chronic pain while also limiting your movement. The most severe cases result in complete paralysis.
Facial Injuries
A fall or any type of impact to your face as you ski can result in broken bones and potential eye damage. These injuries often require extensive reconstructive surgeries.
Psychological Injuries
Being in a skiing accident can leave you with psychological trauma. You may develop depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder, which lowers your quality of life and prevents you from living as you used to.
Personal Injury Claims After Skiing Accidents
After being in a skiing accident in Colorado, you may be able to begin a personal injury claim, depending on what caused the injury. If another party was in any way negligent or wrongful in their conduct, and that led to your losses, it’s possible to start a claim.
Liable parties can include other skiers as well as the premises owners if they failed to maintain a reasonably safe skiing location.
Because of the complexities involved in these types of accidents, it’s ideal to hire an attorney to guide you through the process of filing a claim. They will know what evidence can make a difference and how to negotiate aggressively with insurance companies to obtain the compensation you deserve.
Contact the Denver Personal Injury Attorneys at Zaner Law Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
If you’ve been injured in a ski accident, Zaner Law Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help. Our Denver personal injury lawyers will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation, and we’ll explain your legal options.
We are located in Denver, CO, proudly serving all of Denver County.
Zaner Law Personal Injury Lawyers
1610 Wynkoop Street, Suite 120
Denver, CO 80202
(720) 613 9706
