Sölden: Serious accident on the slopes – snowboarder escapes!

Sölden: Serious accident on the slopes – snowboarder escapes!

A serious winter sports accident occurred on Sunday morning in the Sölden ski area in Tyrol's Ötztal crown reported. An initially unknown snowboarder collided with a 54-year-old German skier, who suffered serious injuries and remained lying on the slope. Despite the incident, the snowboarder continued his ride and committed a hit-and-run.

The skiing woman was immediately given first aid by rescue workers and taken to hospital. The snowboarder, who was later identified as a 43-year-old Pole, is now facing investigations into negligent bodily harm. The legal consequences could be serious for him; He may face up to three months in prison for the assault, while hit-and-run and abandoning the injured person can be punished with up to two years in prison, or even up to three years in the case of death.

Risk minimization in winter sports

The incident in Sölden sheds light on the risks in winter sports. According to the Advocard Accidents can be significantly minimized by knowing the piste rules and behaving responsibly on the piste. The Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) has therefore defined internationally recognized piste rules that apply in Germany, Italy and Austria.

The ten FIS piste rules include essential behavior such as:

• Rücksichtnahme auf andere Wintersportler
• Anpassung der Fahrweise und Geschwindigkeit an die Gegebenheiten
• Immer auf Sicht fahren
• Überholen mit Sicherheitsabstand
• Auf andere Skifahrer beim Einfahren oder Anfahren achten
• Vermeidung unbegründeter Stops an unübersichtlichen Stellen
• Gestürzte müssen schnellstmöglich die Position freimachen
• Rand der Skipiste nutzen beim Aufsteigen oder Gehen
• Beachtung von Hinweisschildern und Markierungen
• Pflicht zur Hilfeleistung bei Unfällen und Angabe der Personalien

Legal consequences and insurance

In the event of a skiing accident, it is crucial to provide assistance and secure the scene of the accident. Involving the emergency services, collecting contact details from witnesses and creating an accident report are also essential. A serious accident should also be reported to the police in order to clarify the question of guilt.

Hit and run on the ski slopes is a crime that can have both civil and criminal consequences. According to Section 823 of the German Civil Code (BGB), those responsible are liable for damages. In this context, personal responsibility plays a major role - inexperienced or careless skiers can also be held liable.

Winter sports enthusiasts should also be clear about their insurance. Essential insurance includes private liability insurance, health insurance, foreign health insurance as well as accident insurance and legal protection insurance. Before going on a winter sports holiday, your insurance cover should be checked to ensure that there is sufficient cover for possible accidents in order to be optimally covered in an emergency.

Further information on this topic can be found in the reports from ORF to find.