Court Limits Employer Liability Waiver Rule, Revives Ski Resort's Defense

The Utah Supreme Court on Thursday narrowed a long-standing rule barring employer liability waivers and revived a ski resort’s defense against negligence claims brought by two former employees injured in an off-duty accident. In Deer Valley Resort Co. v. Olson, the court held that a more than century-old precedent invalidating employer waivers of liability applies only to work-related injuries, not to injuries sustained outside the scope of employment. The case stems from a 2020 accident in which two ski resort employees, William Olson and Lark Pyper, were injured while ridin...