Ski Fall Teacher Wins £42,500

A school teacher whose tibia was fractured in a skiing accident has been awarded £42,500 in compensation because her skis were badly fitted.

 

The teacher had been on a school trip and was at the back of a large group of people who were all having their skis fitted. When the technician finally came to her, she was not asked routine questions considered important for safety, such as her age, shoe size, height, weight and whether or not she was an experienced skier.

 

Correctly fitted skis are designed to release if the wearer falls over. If a ski does not release, then the injuries suffered by the wearer can be made much worse. In the teacher’s case, this was precisely what happened as, when she fell, her left ski failed to release and her tibia was fractured.

 

In court, the judge accepted that skis could not be fitted correctly using guesswork and the technician should have taken more care. The tour operator was held vicariously liable for the failure to fit the skis correctly.