Ohio High Court Says Skiers Assume Ordinary Risks

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that skiers assume the sport’s ordinary risks and can only recover damages for collision injuries by proving the other skier was acting recklessly or intentionally.

The court’s 6-1 decision stemmed from a 2007 collision between skier Angela Horvath, of Rocky River in suburban Cleveland, and a juvenile snowboarder at a ski resort in Summit County.

Horvath filed a lawsuit against the juvenile and his parents, alleging the snowboarder acted negligently, recklessly and willfully in causing the accident.

Lower courts split over whether Horvath produced evidence of those claims, and the Supreme Court ruling sent the case back to a judge for more deliberations on any evidence of reckless or intentional behavior.

Latest Comments

• November 30, 2012 at 9:42 am

  someindieagent says:

  skiers have to realize that boarders have a natural blind spot -that picture is definitely not a skier in Ohio
• November 28, 2012 at 7:11 am

  Tony says:

  As an avid skier, my experience has been that snowboarders have been much more difficult, rude and dangerous with their antics on the slopes. Many places are working to chang... read more
• November 26, 2012 at 5:54 pm

  sandman says:

  So who said old people can't be on the slopes? Most have enough sense not to risk breaking something. But the last time I was on the slopes, it was the snowboarders who were r... read more