You are here: / / PLAINTIFF, A NOVICE SKIER, WAS INJURED DURING A LESSON; THERE WAS A QUESTION...

PLAINTIFF, A NOVICE SKIER, WAS INJURED DURING A LESSON; THERE WAS A QUESTION OF FACT WHETHER THE INSTRUCTOR UNREASONABLY INCREASED THE RISK BY HAVING PLAINTIFF SKI DOWN AN INTERMEDIATE HILL WITHOUT ADEQUATE TRAINING (THIRD DEPT).

The Third Department, reversing Supreme Court, determined plaintiff-skier’s (Bodden’s) negligence complaint should not have been dismissed on the ground she assumed the risks inherent in skiing. Plaintiff was a novice and was taking a lesson at the time she was injured. The instructor had plaintiff go down the “bunny hill” a few times and then took plaintiff to an intermediate hill. Plaintiff lost control, was unable to stop and struck a fence:

A factual dispute remains as to whether Bodden [plaintiff] expressed reservations to the instructor about whether she was ready to progress to Benson’s Glade and whether the instructor encouraged her in a manner that was overzealous under the circumstances. It is also unclear whether the instructor taught Bodden, before going on the trail, how to safely fall if she could not remain in the pizza wedge formation, and whether she yelled out to Bodden to do so after she lost control. Although Bodden conceded that she knew the risks associated with skiing and had successfully completed several runs down the bunny hill, she had limited opportunity to practice the technique that she had been taught for slowing down and stopping under real life circumstances, as the bunny hill was primarily flat and, according to Bodden, “skiers stop[ped] on their own there.” Not to be overlooked is the fact that Bodden was a novice skier and was taken on a trail designated as intermediate on the trail map. We recognize that defendants proffered an affidavit from the instructor explaining that, although Benson’s Glade is formally designated an intermediate trail, it is more akin to a beginner’s trail. Notably, however, the instructor revealed that she was aware of an area of Benson’s Glade that had a “sharper turn” and had “witnessed multiple people coming straight down and ending up in the trees” near that area. Such testimony creates a question of fact as to whether Benson’s Glade was appropriate for a novice skier such as Bodden. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to plaintiffs, we conclude that triable issues of fact exist as to whether the instructor unreasonably increased the risk of injury and whether Bodden voluntarily assumed such risk … . Bodden v Holiday Mtn. Fun Park Inc., 2021 NY Slip Op 07330, Third Dept 12-23-21

 

You might also like
Plaintiff Did Not Affirmatively Demonstrate Fire Was Not Intentionally Set by Merely Challenging the Insurer’s Arson Investigation—Plaintiff’s Summary Judgment Motion Properly Denied—Proof Burdens at Summary Judgment Stage Explained
CLAIMANT’S EXPERT PROVIDED SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE OF A CAUSAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLAIMANT FIREFIGHTER’S LUNG CANCER AND EXPOSURE TO TOXINS AT GROUND ZERO, WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BOARD REVERSED (THIRD DEPT).
THE TRACKED IN WATER WAS NOT ACTIONABLE; DEFENDANT’S MOTION FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT IN THIS SLIP AND FALL CASE WAS PROPERLY GRANTED (THIRD DEPT).
IN THIS Y-INTERSECTION TRAFFIC ACCIDENT CASE, (1) THE TOWN DEMONSTRATED IT DID NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED WRITTEN NOTICE THAT OVERGROWN FOLIAGE BLOCKED LINES OF SIGHT; (2) QUESTIONS OF FACT PRECLUDED SUMMARY JUDGMENT ON THE CAUSES OF ACTION ALLEGING INADQUATE SIGNAGE AND NEGLIGENT ROADWAY DESIGN (THIRD DEPT).
PLAINTIFF’S ATTEMPT TO AMEND THE COMPLAINT TO ADD A PARTY INITIALLY NAMED AS JOHN DOE TIME-BARRED (THIRD DEPT).
Responsibility for Payments for a 1999 Claim (Which Was Reopened After 13 Years) Shifted from the Workers’ Compensation Carrier to the Special Fund—Rationale for the Special Fund Explained—Payments Made by Carrier Re: a 2005 Claim Were Not Partially Attributable to the 1999 Claim—Therefore the Carrier Was No Longer Responsible for Payments Re: the 1999 Claim
NOTING THE SPLIT OF AUTHORITY BETWEEN THE 2ND AND 4TH DEPARTMENTS, THE 3RD DEPARTMENT SIDED WITH THE 2ND AND HELD THAT, WHERE THE PROPERTY OWNER IS DECEASED, JURISDICTION OVER THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DECEDENT IS REQUIRED FOR AN IN REM TAX FORECLOSURE PROCEEDING (THIRD DEPT).
THE BIOLOGICAL MOTHER AND THE ADOPTIVE MOTHER ENTERED A POSTADOPTION CONTACT AGREEMENT WHICH ALLOWED TWO SUPERVISED VISITS WITH THE BIOLOGICAL MOTHER PER YEAR; THE EVIDENCE OF THE CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOR AFTER VISITING WITH THE BIOLOGICAL MOTHER SUPPORTED FAMILY COURT’S CONCLUSION IT WAS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILDREN TO TERMINATE VISITATION WITH THE BIOLOGICAL MOTHER; THE DISSENT ARGUED THE EVIDENCE OF THE DAUGHTER’S, IN CONTRAST TO THE SON’S, POST-VISIT BEHAVIOR DID NOT SUPPORT TERMINATION OF VISITATION WITH THE DAUGHTER (THIRD DEPT).

Categories

Sign Up for the Mailing List to Be Notified When the Site Is Updated.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Copyright © 2026 New York Appellate Digest, Inc.
Site by CurlyHost | Privacy Policy

FAMILY COURT DID NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO, SUA SPONTE, AMEND A DISMISSAL ORDER... PLAINTIFF’S COMPLAINT AGAINST THE DEFAULTING DEFENDANT-ATTORNEY SUFFICIENTLY...