Broomfield Jury Awards $20 Million to Young Woman Who Was Paralyzed from Chair Lift Fall in Lawsuit Against Vail Resorts

Chair Lift Lawsuit

A Broomfield County, Colorado jury returned a $20 million verdict in favor of a young Oklahoma woman who fell off a ski lift and was paralyzed as a result. Annie Miller, age 16 at the time of the injury in 2022, sued Crested Butte Mountain Resort, which is owned by Vail Resorts.

Ms. Miller attempted to load the Paradise Express Lift with her father while on a church youth group trip. However, she was not fully seated before the chair lifted into the air. By the time the lift operator reacted to her calls for help and stopped the lift, her father could not hold onto her any longer. She fell 30 feet onto the hard-packed snow. Ms. Miller was paralyzed as a result of the fall.

The Colorado Supreme Court had previously determined in 2024 that Vail’s liability waiver did not absolve the ski resort from illegal acts of negligence, which revived Ms. Miller’s negligence per se claim that the trial court had dismissed. Ms. Miller then prevailed against Vail Resorts at trial.

The attorneys at Bloch Ongert have decades of experience obtaining compensation for victims of ski injuries. This includes chair lift injury cases. We’ve litigated cases in court against ski areas such as Vail Resorts to challenge the enforceability of their broad liability waivers. Have you been injured on a chair lift or by another skier? Call Bloch Ongert today at 303-331-1700 to receive a free consultation with an attorney.

This information was sourced from Courthouse News Service. The original article can be found here: https://www.courthousenews.com/jury-awards-20-million-to-woman-paralyzed-on-colorado-ski-lift/