But outdoor fun can end in personal injuries and lawsuits
Summertime in Colorado is almost too beautiful to bear. There are a host of activities to keep a person busy – too many to count – and of course, each comes with its own measure of personal responsibility.
We wouldn't be doing our job as a personal injury law site if we didn't walk you through the potential horrors of each activity, so buckle up. It's a gorgeous and bumpy ride.
The best outdoor summer fun activities in Colorado – and their dark sides
Mountain biking/cycling accidents in Colorado
Colorado is known for its bikers. It's not just a way to get around – it's a religion.
The state holds many high-altitude and endurance bike races annually. During some of them, you ride for 24 hours straight. More unusual is the fact that ski trails become mountain bike trails during the spring; bikers will ride gondolas up to the top of the mountain and the ride down the slopes. Bikers constantly push themselves to the edge, riding along the tops of mountains and down narrow paths and ridges.
How could this go wrong?
There are a striking number of bike accidents in Colorado in which the rider was hit by a car – just on normal roads. We haven't even added in the other stuff to the equation yet. Additionally, the rider can fall off the bike or wipe out on a street – what about a mountainside? Who do you sue if you get hurt there? If you rented your bike from a shop that touts mountain biking challenges, you might be able to recover damages, but if you're a private mountain biker who just enjoys the thrill, you might be paying your own medical bills.
Endurance challenges can cause a host of other physical problems such as extreme dehydration, cramping, bleeding and heart problems.
And with mountain biking, the ramps allow riders to jump eight feet into the air and soar distances of more than 10 feet.
That's just asking for trouble.
When a biker rides down a ski slope and gets hurt, that could potentially mean a personal injury claim for negligence against the owner or manager of the ski slope.
Hiking accidents in Colorado
Colorado has cliffs, canyons, meadows, grasslands, waterfalls, creeks and endless trails to amuse any kind of hiker.
No matter what kind of walk you want, there is a hike that will be amenable to you. Do you want an ambling stroll through wildflowers that leads to a lovely vista where you can take photos for your Instagram? Or do you want an intense, rock-filled gorge where you must watch every step and calculate every handhold to find your way into a canyon? There are hundreds of options, and you could choose a new one every day.
How could this go wrong?
Take a wrong step and fall off the cliff into a rock-filled chasm, breaking your precious bones when you finally land with a sickening thud. Then you'll need to be air-lifted to the nearest hospital.
But first they'll need to find you, which could take ages. At least you'll have your phone to pass the time. Against whom will you recover damages? No one? That puts “hike at your own risk” into a whole new light.
Backpacking/camping accidents in Colorado
There are 41 state parks in Colorado. Four thousand campsites. There are cabins. RV sites. Heck, there are yurts. Haven't you ever wanted to sleep in a yurt? You can even get a campsite that has a hot shower and electricity, if you can't live without a hair dryer and an indoor toilet.
How could this go wrong?
How about camping in Bear Country? Black bears are intelligent, resourceful and have a tendency to go after your food. They can smell you from five miles away.
Meanwhile, there's everything from bats to red foxes in Colorado. You have Canadian geese, which are just so mean, and all they do is hiss and chase you and try to steal your lunch money.
Harming any of these animals would likely be an environmental and administrative violation, and probably a governmental violation as well if the Colorado Parks & Wildlife division got involved. Plus, you wouldn't be a friend of animal rights activists. (There is such a thing as animal law, too, and since there is very little monetary reward in animal law, you generally have some of the most passionate lawyers in existence.)
Boating/rafting accidents in Colorado
It doesn't matter what type of boating you're into – Colorado's got it. They don't care about being landlocked.
Want to go sailing? Head on over to Lake Dillon or the Ruedi Reservoir.
You like fishing? No problem. Try the Grand Mesa Lakes or Lake Pueblo State Park.
Maybe canoeing is more your speed. Lake Granby is perfect for that, as well as Colorado River or Gross Reservoir.
Meanwhile, Navajo State Park is great for waterskiing.
How could this go wrong?
Well, you could drown. Kids can drown in two inches of water. Drowning accidents generally fall under maritime jurisdiction, depending on where the accident occurred. If it happened close to shore, then state law applies and normal personal injury law would be used. If the accident were farther from shore (for instance, if this were deep-sea diving or if a worker fell off an oil rig way out at sea), then federal maritime law would apply. But Colorado is landlocked (unlike Florida or another coastal state), so we don't have to worry about that.
Horseback riding accidents in Colorado
There are legitimate dude ranches still in existence in Colorado. How can you not love that? While riding a horse you can see so much of what the state has to offer and leave our increasingly digital world behind. No matter your level of experience, you can find a ranch that will cater to your needs.
How could this go wrong?
Horses are living creatures that may not listen to your commands. This could lead to serious injuries.
Additionally, your inexperience might lead to you injuring the horse. The former would be a personal injury suit against the ranch. The latter would be a suit for damages against you so the ranch is compensated for the damage to its animal.
Caving accidents in Colorado
When's the last time you headed underground, far away from the sunlight and fresh air?
Colorado boasts some of the country's most impressive caves, such as Cave of the Winds and Glenwood Caverns. Each of these is welcoming to those who just want an easy trek through well-lit passages that may or may not be filled with bats. For those who are more daring, Rifle Falls State Park, Dinosaur National Monument and White River National Forest are raw and undeveloped – and dangerous.
How could this go wrong?
Let your imagination be your guide. Getting stuck underground, for one. Many of those caves are tiny, narrow shafts that require special equipment to navigate. Many cavers have gotten trapped and injured, leading to personal injury suits against the government – which have a different, shorter statute of limitations than normal personal injury claims – and could even lead to wrongful death claims.
Because of the “assumption of risk” (meaning that people know how dangerous it is when they go into a cave for the purpose of shimmying around in tight corners for the thrill of it), the likelihood of winning any claims is nil.
However, interestingly, if a private owner of property owned a cave, charged admission, knew of dangerous conditions within the cave and did not warn cavers, he could be held liable for injuries. The protection hinges upon whether the owner charged admission.
However you choose to spice up your summer with fun activities in Colorado, be aware of the legalities that may away you when it's all said and done. Be safe. And if you need a lawyer, look to the Enjuris Colorado directory to get started.