Class action lawsuit filed against Vail Resorts
Jan 9, 2025, 2:08 PM | Updated: 5:46 pm
Park City Ski Patrol strike as they demand livable wages in Park City, Utah Jan 7. 2025, (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS
(AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
SALT LAKE CITY — Vail Resorts is now being sued over its handling of the recent ski patroller strike.
A class action lawsuit alleges that skiers were not made aware of the strike before booking and spending tens of thousands of dollars at Park City Mountain Resort between Dec. 27 and the end of the strike.
When they showed up for their vacations, they were met with picketers, long lift lines and limited terrain availability.
“Nobody told them the truth,” said Mel Orchard, a lawyer with The Spence Law Firm, which is among those representing the plaintiffs. “So all that money wasted. Some people, including our client, only got 20 minutes on the slope in a day because of the lift lines and because they weren’t operating [all of their terrain].”
The lawsuit against Vail Resorts asks for whatever relief the court sees fit. Orchard said he hopes to see customers compensated for the money they forked over thinking they were getting the luxury ski experience promised on the website.
“They lost thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars per family,” Orchard stated. “I mean add that up, I bet there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people who had their vacations ruined.”
Orchard wants people to know they can still join the class action suit if they were impacted.
When asked about the lawsuit, Vail Resorts said it would not comment on pending litigation.
