The season that is filled with the thrills of skiing down your favorite hills near Salt Lake City has finally arrived, but that one of a kind rush comes with some explicit dangers.
Whether you’re a veteran of the slopes, or a wrongful death lawyer that’s heading up the mountain for the first time, skiing or snowboarding is a rite of passage for Utahns. But going skiing means you’re willing to take on the responsibilities that come with the sport — specifically safety responsibilities.
Any injury lawyer could tell you that the two most common types of skiing injuries happen to your knees and head. About 30 percent of all snowboarding and ski injuries involved a sprain knee or a tear in the knee’s ACL or MCL. Head injuries are also common among skiers, and they primarily occur when a skier collides into another person or objects. Head injuries also commonly occur during wipeouts, and some of those wipeouts can have the same physical impact on a person as a deadly auto accident.
How to Prevent Injury
How to prevent getting injured while skiing is just as easy as preventing injuries while running or playing any other type of general sports. Be sure to stretch before you go out on the slopes so you can avoid any cramps that might happen while you’re speeding down the slopes.
Proper equipment and technique is also crucial to avoiding injuries, or preventing them from becoming severe. Make sure you don’t push yourself beyond your limits while skiing. For some, that’ll mean taking breaks every hour, for others that’ll mean avoiding the temptation of going off trail to experience some more rugged terrain. As fun as that might sound, you’ll want to avoid going off course just in case you injure yourself and need someone’s help.
And before you even get to the slopes, be sure you’re driving in a car that’s ready to handle severe snow. There’s always the potential of getting into an auto accident and having to call a lawyer before you even make it up to your favorite ski mountain.