Crescent Lake, Oregon — A skier’s fall from a chairlift could become the latest legal woe for Oregon’s ski industry.
The Oregonian reports that a 65-year-old male is suing Willamette Pass ski resort for $3.6 million. The lawsuit is over a fall from a chairlift that resulted in extensive injuries. This lawsuit also lists Willamette Pass Ski Patrol, Willamette Pass Holdings, Mountain Capital Partners (which operates the ski resort), and Oregon Skyway as parties that were at fault.
On Jan. 15, 2023, Paul Richmond and his ten-year-old grandson travelled to Willamette Pass for a day of skiing. While riding the Peak 2 triple chairlift, it was allegedly swinging wildly back and forth. It’s unclear how heavy the wind speeds were at the time of the incident. Unlike most chairlifts, the Peak 2 chairlift doesn’t have a safety bar. This resulted in the duo clinging onto the armrest for their lives. By the time they passed the second lift tower, Richmond fell off the chair and was clinging onto the bottom of the lift. He eventually fell, severely injuring his back.
The lawsuit claims he fractured several portions of his spine and also suffered soft tissue injuries. He needed two surgeries: one for his back and another for hernia repair. So far, Richmond has paid more than $330,000 for medical care and estimates another $250,000 will be needed to recover. Despite only having one leg for most of his life, Richmond is described in the lawsuit as a highly functional individual. However, this injury has drastically impacted his life in a negative way.
Oregon has featured its fair share of lawsuits over injuries in outdoor recreation. In 2014, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that liability waivers are not enforceable after a paralyzed snowboarder sued Mt. Bachelor. The most notable lawsuit that followed occurred at the Mt. Hood Skibowl, where a severely injured mountain biker sued the ski resort for $10.5 million. Mt. Hood Skibowl ended up settling with the individual, but decided to close its mountain biking park for good. Mt. Bachelor also faced a wrongful death lawsuit over a death from tree well suffocation, but the judge sided with the ski resort.
A few years ago, Oregon’s outdoor industry attempted to pass a law that protected companies like ski resorts from litigation, but that went nowhere. According to the Statesman Journal, the recreation industry is once again pushing for liability reform in Oregon’s 2025 legislative session.

Image Chairlifts: Willamette Pass