A new bill under consideration before the California legislature may require young skiers under the age of 18 to wear safety gear like helmets while skiing or snowboarding on the ski slopes of California.
The legislation has been proposed by Leland Lee, a San Francisco and San Mateo County’s state senator. The growing number of serious head injuries in skiing and snowboarding accidents, along with rising medical costs for the long-term care of brain injury victims, is expected to lead to the passage of this bill. Along with this bill, another bill has been proposed by a Sacramento Assemblyman Dave Jones to place the responsibility and enforcement of youth ski helmets upon ski resort operators.
Thrill seeking skiers and libertarians are understandably not too excited these laws. But the fact of the matter remains that every year hundreds of people get seriously hurt with brain injuries while skiing. In fact, actress Natasha Richardson suffered a traumatic brain injury while skiing last year when her head hit the snow on the bunny slope of an Idaho resort. If such a benign force can result in death, maybe wearing helmets may be a good idea. However, we are not a fan of the idea of placing responsibility, which will lead to civil liability in future lawsuits, against ski resort operators. Such laws only restrict the number of ski resorts that will operate in California, increase insurance costs, and increase the price of lift tickets for skiers and snowboarders.
Ross Jurewitz is a San Diego personal injury attorney and the managing lawyer of the Jurewitz Law Group, a California law firm dedicated to representing people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries in serious accidents. If you or a loved one has suffered a head injury in California, please order your free copy of Mr. Jurewitz’s book, The Ten Biggest Mistakes that can Destroy Your California Accident Case. It is full of helpful information that will help you protect your legal rights and it is free to all California residents. One should also consult with an experienced and reputable California brain injury attorney to discuss your options and rights.