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We bring you some sad news from GALA Yuzawa Resort this evening....

 

Today a young Japanese snowboarder lost his life at the resort after it seems falling head first from a jump at the snowboard park there.

 

SJG sends on it’s condolences to the family concerned.

 

Every year there are a few unfortunate accidents such as this at resorts around the country – be careful out there.....

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 Quote:
Originally posted by helen:
I was just thinking, in incidents like this, how (if at all) do the resorts take "responsibility" etc etc? Anyone know?


i think not, it's written on almost every lift ticket or park that the companie don't take responsibility for accidents, happend coze you use the terrain.

i think they have to take resposibility if a tree would fall on you on a slope, if a gondola would fall down or if you get ishured by a rope stretched over a the slope....
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like any business, a resort

would try to avoid liability whenever

possible, but despite what it says

on a lift ticket, they can still be held

liable. you just need a good lawyer.

it's no coincidence that the resorts

pay lots of money to insurance companies.

 

as for the snowboarding tragedy, very sad.

i hate hearing about snowboarding deaths,

and it seems they are more and more common

as the sport progresses and people go bigger

and bigger. at least this poor kid died

doing what he loved.

 

know your limits and wear a helmet.

demo jumps before going big. be safe.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by barok:
you just need a good lawyer.



yes yes, and the best lawyers you can find in the united states!!!!!!
(sorry but we have our problems in switzerland with american lawyers...)
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In response to the sad accident at Gala; in terms of resposibility there is a gray area in injuries and deaths sustained at any ski area. Bartok is right in pointing out that the disclaimer found on lift tickets could be disputed by a good lawyer, but negligence would still have to be proved: ie. that the snowboard park was improperly maintained or should have been closed because of extreme ice conditions. In some cases Japanese resorts have been known to make "consolation payments" to victim's families. Landing wrong after too much air might have more likely been caused by personal inexperience. This unfortunate type of accident happens all to often in the Japanese ski business and it almost seems to stem from over-exposure to high end riding videos and magazines, absorbed like mantra by young riders in Japan. In any case it is very unfortunate for the family involved.

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Not actually a skiing accident, but I fell from my moutain bike while riding at Echo Valley Ski resort a few summers ago. Spent 2 very boriing weeks in hospital. The ski resort paid out about 300,000 yen to me as insurance.

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 Quote:
Originally posted by Ocean11:
I saw a fallen skier at Nozawa - it looked bad, the guy was totally immobile - and it took enough time for 3 rides on a lift and slope before the ski patrol arrived to help.


The pocket-sized course map they give you at Arai (I think it was Arai) has the patrol's telephone number clearly marked in big letters. They may do it at other places too, but Arai's is the only map where I've noticed it. With so many people carrying mobile phones, there's no need for things like this to happen.

That said, last season I saw a snowboarder who had overshot the zigzag middle bit at Goryu. He was hanging by both arms from some netting. Had he slipped there was a 12-15ft drop onto the next part of the course. The gondola passed directly above him and the patrol's office is right at the top of the gondola. From the patrol's reaction, it was obvious that no-one else on the gondola had bothered to report it.
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 Quote:
Originally posted by barok:
like any business, a resort
would try to avoid liability whenever
possible, but despite what it says
on a lift ticket, they can still be held
liable.


That's certainly the case here in Australia & have been told it's the same in Nth America, so assume it's the same in Japan.

Perisher Blue & NSW Parks service had to pay out several $million last year because of court ruling on a tobogganing incident resulting in paralysis when a young (trainee??)teacher (in charge of school kids on a day trip!!!) used a real estate for-sale-type sign as a toboggan at Blue Cow - went down head first & landed on a rock. The court deemed that while the responsibility for the incident wasn't fully with PB & NPWS, there should have been more signs saying "no toboggans allowed".
Lawyer friend tells me that when "blame" can be assigned to a company/govt body, courts will go that way (if it wasn't settled out-of-court first) as they will have insurance to cover the payouts, rather than have the on-going costs borne by the health system.
But who pays the costs anyway? - health system: taxpayers, insurance claim: consumers. It's the same end result anyway. It's probably only the politics of the situation that decides it!

So with a big payout last year, PB appeared to be clamping down this year - eg when one of the kids in the freestyle team came out badly from a botched inverted manoeuvre, all instructors/trainers were told they would get instant dismissal if they did any manoeuvre where their boots went above their head, the public would get their pass pulled if they did it.

BTW compensation for those claiming from the Thredbo landslide still hasn't come through. One of the lodges involved only a few months ago got its insurance claim payout - enough to start rebuilding, but still need the compo money.

Helmets: a good move, but remember they won't save you from all head & neck injuries. Caution still needed.
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It was pretty sad news...

 

Some snowboarders make air without any preparation, i.e., exercising before snowboarding, wearing protectors/helmets.

 

.... I ,myself, have never wear helmets for snowboarding beofer but from now on... I should start to think about it....

 

I went Gala's park 3 - 4 times last year...

so this news gave me strong feeling....

 

I hope everyone(inc. me ) can have great and safe winter season in 2002...

 

 

P.S.

A Happy New year to everyone!!

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My friend hurt her leg boardin last year at Karuizawa. And, although knowone at the resort told her, she found out that the place had insurance just for that kind of thing. Every day that she was in hospital she recieved 10,000 yen from them.

The moral of the story is "Always contact the ski resort and enquire about insurance if you have an accident."

(not a very catchy moral, I know.)

Safety first!

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 Quote:
Originally posted by Blazer:
The moral of the story is "Always contact the ski resort and enquire about insurance if you have an accident."
(not a very catchy moral, I know.)
Safety first!


i don't think it's immoral! cause you "pay" this insurance with the lift ticket and i think if you pay for an insurance then you should use it if it's neccessary!
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