Now this will make for an interesting lawsuit. A man was riding a chairlift at Vail’s Blue Sky Basin when the chair flipped, pulled down his pants and left him dangling for 15 minutes like a Christmas ham. This would be an interesting exercise of count the torts. It certainly brings new meaning to the ski phrase: “catching some air.”
The resort may claim that the man was contributorily negligent is the chair was not completely folded down. However, I have always wondered about the liability of having people “catch” moving chairlifts that then suspend them high above the ground. It appears that the man’s right ski got jammed in the ascending chairlift.
Negligence is an obvious claim as is the negligent infliction of emotional distress (for him as opposed for those who watched — known in the ski lingo as “gapers”). Presumably, the chairlift does not make the resort a common carrier but it might be an optional argument to impose the higher standard on the defendant.
This would seem an excellent time for a settlement and presumably, just behind the ski rescue team, there was an emergency legal team swooping in on the scene on skis. 
For the full story, click here.
Also, let’s keep this chat going for three years, send it to all of our friends, max out Nimrod’s humiliation and see if we can’t help him get his damages up there for the soon to arive law suit.
Thanks Joe Blow, I really upset I couldn’t get high-def pictures of that. Thanks, really. Thanks alot.
p.s. Dear Prof. T, just because the guys upside down doesn’t turn his southern exposure into his northern exposure. What are you, Australian or sumthin??
He’s likely to “shrink away” from any future chair lift rides …
I’m chilly just thinking about it.
He looks like a human pinatta …….
It should be mentioned that there are some pretty clear pictures of the man with his pants down. Just in case anybody’s at work.
Go here for better pictures.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0106091vail1.html
The most humiliating part of all this for him had to be the fact that it was “so cold”.
Bob,
Tragedy+Time=comedy
Homer Simpson: “It’s funny because I don’ t know that guy.”
With it being cold outside and having all the blood rushing to his brain for 15 minutes, I’m not so sure there was much…exposure.
Gyges,
Vail is a trip. But think of all the rodents that are kept from attacking defenseless human beings by those fur shops! Did you think of that? Where is your humanity?
JT,
Assuming the resort could prove a previously unknown infestation of mischievous gnomes, gremlins, or more likely (given the location) tommy-knockers would that in anyway reduce their liability? They are a virtually unknown threat these days, and most resorts have no reason to put up protective measures.
As an aside, my wife and I honeymooned at Vail during the off season. I’d never seen a tourist-trap with more fur-shops than knick-knack stores before.
Well, this must be the biggest tourist trap ever! Let this be a warning to others.