Man files lawsuit against Seven Springs
An Arizona man has filed suit against a local ski resort, claiming a fall on ice during snowboarding left him a quadriplegic. Alexander R. Heide of Phoenix, Ariz., alleged in a four-page suit filed last week in federal court that he hit a patch of ice as he landed from a snowboarding jump at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Somerset County on Feb. 14, 2007.
The suit alleged he was attempting a routine jump and claimed that the resort had a duty to ensure that the slopes were maintained. The suit claimed Seven Springs was careless, negligent and reckless.
Among the other injuries Heide sustained were a fracture of vertebrae from severe whiplash, a fractured femur, pneumonia and emotional tension.
The fall also caused him “psychological trauma,” according to the suit filed by attorney Peter D. Friday.
As a result of the fall, Friday alleged that Heide would have to spend large amounts of money on medical care, and lost his full earning capacity.
The suit alleged that Seven Springs was responsible for providing “safe and adequate ski and snowboard conditions.” The resort should have also “adequately warn(ed) users, either in writing or orally, of the dangerous conditions for skiers and snowboarders.”
The suit asks for damages in excess of $75,000.