Right before New Year, a scary ski accident occurred in Maine which injured 8 people (3 of them seriously) and stranded 150 other skiers for more than an hour on a defective ski lift.

Allegedly, Sugarloaf Resort’s 35-year old lift got derailed, causing 5 chairs and passengers to plummet 25-30 feet down the mountain. The lift is 4,013 feet long with an elevation of 1,454 feet — although it recently passed an inspection, even the resort’s manager admitted that it was vulnerable to strong winds.

Right before the accident occurred, 2 chairlift mechanics were called to fix the lift’s cable which was out of alignment. However, as they failed to repair it, the resort moved to close the lift but when they restarted it to free the skiers, the lift’s cable came off its track. Five adults and three children were taken to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington.

According to state investigators while the wind may have contributed to the accident (wind gusts at the time of the accident were 40-50 mph), the authorities are not ruling out other factors for the accident such as mechanical failure.

Accidents can happen anytime even in a resort meant for fun and recreation. Under the law on premises liability, the property or resort’s owner and management can be held liable for any injury or loss sustained by a guest because of an accident caused by negligence.

In fact, ski resort guests are “invitees”. Legally speaking, an invitee is someone invited onto the property of the owner (which may be a mall, a restaurant, or a resort) and the property owner has the legal responsibility to ensure that safety of the premises or take reasonable steps to fix or repair hazards.

As such, faulty equipment because of poor maintenance or dangerous conditions on the premises (such as slippery floors, broken steps) can give rise to a personal injury lawsuit if the guests are injured or killed on the property.

If you or a loved one was injured in a ski accident due to the fault of negligence of the owner of the premises, it would be advisable for you to seek the services of a personal injury lawyer to help you file a claim and receive compensation for your injuries or losses.