Skis, policies for skiers: everything you need to know

With the winter season the slopes are crowded again. However, there are dangers on the snow and it is good practice to make sure before setting off. It should be remembered that this form of prevention is now mandatory.

The Legislative Decree of 28 February 2021 introduced, starting from 1 January 2022, the obligation for (non-cross-country) skiers to have insurance that covers their civil liability for damage or injury caused to third parties. Not only. The manager of the ski facility has the obligation to make available to users, when purchasing the ski pass, an insurance policy for any damage caused to people or things.

What happens in case of violation? In this case, a fine of between 100 and 150 euros is foreseen in addition to the withdrawal of the ski pass. So better not to risk it.

But what does the insurance offer? The policy presents, as a basic guarantee, civil liability. This means that the insurance company undertakes to indemnify the insured from paying for damages involuntarily caused to third parties (from personal injuries to damage to property) as a result of an accidental fact that occurred during amateur downhill skiing and snowboarding .

The majority of policies on the market also include the additional accident cover or it is possible to add it optionally. In this case, there is also a refund for unused ski passes/lessons and a refund for the rental of ski equipment not used due to the accident.
Some coverage on the market also provides assistance guarantees (such as telephone medical advice, the return of the convalescent insured, the driver available if the insured, following an accident, is unable to drive the vehicle and so on ) and reimbursement of medical, pharmaceutical and hospital expenses incurred as a result of the accident. However, it should be remembered that the policy cover only comes into effect in the event of intervention by the rescue service on the slopes where the accident occurred. There are many proposals on the market and the duration of coverage can be daily, multi-day or seasonal.

Purchasing the policy is easy. Like any policy, it can be purchased on the websites of insurance companies or from insurance intermediaries, but also at the ski lift cash desks, together with the skypass; online, together with the ski pass, receiving the insurance coverage document directly by email to be shown in case of an inspection.

It is useful to remember that whoever has a head of household RC policy can already count on insurance coverage, since family “civil liability” also provides for insurance coverage for the insured’s skiing activities. In this case, if the skier is not the policyholder but a family member, it is a good idea to bring both the policy, with relative receipt of payment, and a certificate attesting family status.