2025 Ski Injury Statistics

Skiing is a year-round activity for some and a winter pastime for others. Even for the most experienced skiers, it’s a dangerous hobby. Life-altering skiing and snowboarding injuries have risen in recent years, and victims need to know what to do if they get hurt on the slopes.

According to the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), the 2023/2024 season saw 49 catastrophic injuries and 35 fatalities. Poor instruction and skier inexperience, bad conditions, and damaged equipment cause many injuries. Common injuries include fractures, ligament tears, neck and back injuries, and brain damage. After suffering injuries, contact our lawyers to see if the ski resort is liable. If so, you may sue to recover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering damages.

Call The Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940 to have our personal injury lawyers review your case for free.

Current Ski Injury Statistics

According to information gathered by the National Ski Areas Association, 49 catastrophic injuries occurred during the 2023/2024 season, higher than the 10-year average of 41 catastrophic injuries per season.

The NSAA defines catastrophic injuries as “life-altering” and includes broken necks or backs ending in full or partial paralysis, serious head injuries, and limb loss. Injuries that aren’t “catastrophic” can still be very expensive and painful. They likely happen far more often, though the NSAA doesn’t keep statistics on those ski injuries.

Most people who suffered catastrophic injuries were between the ages of 16 and 20, and the majority were male.

According to the NSAA, 28 skiers died, and seven snowboarders died, combining for a total of 35 fatalities for the 2023/24 season. Not all injuries are immediately fatal, so the NSAA’s ski accident death statistics may not be accurate.

Top Ski Injury Causes in 2025

Most ski injuries occurred during collisions with trees and because of the snow surface, according to the NSAA. While you might get injured while skiing, you might also suffer injuries simply walking through the ski resort.

Poor Instruction and Skier Inexperience

Skiing is relatively dangerous, so it’s important to know your capabilities. Ski resort staff should give instructions based on skiers’ experience. Ski areas should not let skiers or snowboarders with little experience go down slopes designated for expert skiers.

Inexperienced skiers might collide with trees or others on the slopes, suffering or causing injuries.

Bad Weather

Heavy snowfall, excessive winds, or other bad weather endangers skiers and snowboarders. Resorts and other ski areas should shut down the slopes when weather puts skiers at risk. Bad weather increases the risk of avalanches, makes it harder to maintain ski runs, and makes operating ski lifts riskier.

Damaged Equipment

Even experienced skiers may not have all their own equipment. If you rent skis, poles, boots, helmets, or other gear, you expect it to work properly. Weak or bent poles and old skis might break. If this happens when you’re on the slopes, you may not be able to brace or slow yourself before impact.

Equipment should also fit you properly. If you rent skis from the resort and they give you the wrong size, you might fall and suffer injuries.

Slippery Floors

Injuries also happen in ski resort interiors. Melted ice and snow can leave floors slippery, and staff should respond quickly to keep areas dry. Otherwise, victims might slip and fall and suffer hand, wrist, ankle, or foot injuries, among other injuries.

What Are the Most Common Ski Injuries?

Falls, collisions, and other accidents often leave skiers injured. After getting medical care and documenting your injuries, contact our lawyers about your case.

Fractures and Tears

Fractures are some of the most immediately painful injuries, especially compound or displaced fractures, which may be visibly distressing as well. With compound fractures, bone breaks through the skin. Broken legs and ankles are most common since skiers’ boots are locked onto their skis. Skiers might also suffer broken arms, collarbones, ribs, and wrists.

Knee injuries like ACL and MCL tears are common for snowboarders and skiers.

Back and Neck Injuries

Skiers move quickly, and this can contribute to a victim’s injuries. More speed on impact increases the risk of catastrophic neck and back injuries. Broken necks and spinal cord damage happen frequently. Victims must be transported properly to the hospital, or their injuries could worsen.

Head Injuries

Traumatic head injuries and fatal accidents happen, even when skiers wear helmets. In fact, of all recent skier deaths, the NSAA reports that only five were not wearing helmets. Helmets lower the risk of life-altering head or facial injuries but do not eliminate it.

Who is Liable for My Ski Injury?

The ski area may be responsible for your injury, even if you signed a liability waiver. Let our personal injury lawyers review the waiver and the accident to see if you can sue. If the ski resort is not liable, someone else may be.

Ski resorts owe visitors a “duty of care.” They have to ensure slopes and other areas are reasonably safe. Since skiing is inherently dangerous, resorts may use an “assumption of risk” defense in Pennsylvania. A defendant might argue the plaintiff accepted the risk of potential injury by going skiing in the first place.

The assumption of risk does not erase a ski resort’s liability. Not shutting down during bad weather, distributing old and defective equipment, or giving proper instruction to skiers creates liability.

Many ski slopes require visitors to sign liability waivers. These waivers aren’t enforceable when they contain ambiguous language, attempt to waive liability for gross negligence, or violate public policy. Liability waivers for minors typically don’t hold up in court, even if parents sign them on their kids’ behalves before skiing.

If liable, the ski resort can cover all hospital bills and lost wages. Injuries are physically painful and have emotional consequences, and these “non-economic” damages are also compensable.

Call Us About Your Ski Injury Lawsuit Today

Call The Reiff Law Firm’s personal injury lawyers for help with your case at (215) 709-6940.