What to Do If You Get Injured During a Ski Season

Ski injuries happen. They happen to beginners and they happen to experienced instructors. They happen on groomed pistes and they happen on easy green runs. Part of doing a ski season is acknowledging that you are skiing 80 to 120 days in a row, and that exposure over that kind of duration means the odds are not what they are on a five-day holiday.

This isn't a scare piece. It's a guide to what you actually do when it happens — in the first minutes on the mountain, in the hours after, and in the days and weeks that follow. Knowing this before you need it is the whole point.

On the mountain — the immediate situation

If you fall and cannot ski down under your own power, stay still. Don't try to get up if something might be broken or seriously damaged. Movement before assessment can make certain injuries significantly worse.

Signal for help. The international distress signal on a ski slope is to cross your skis in an X shape in the snow uphill from your position — visible to other skiers coming down. If you can raise your poles, do so. Other skiers will alert ski patrol; you don't need to have your phone out.

Piste patrol (pisteurs in France, ski patrol in North America) carry first aid equipment and emergency evacuation sleds. When they arrive, let them assess you. Even if you suspect it's minor, accept the assessment — ski patrol are trained in on-mountain trauma and will pick up things you won't. Refusing assessment to save face is how minor injuries become major ones.

Do not remove your ski boot if you have an ankle or lower leg injury. The boot is supporting the injury. Removal should wait until a medical professional advises it, typically once you're in a clinic or hospital setting.

If you're conscious, calm, and in a remote or steep location, stay where you are unless moving is clearly safer. Unstable terrain or incoming weather are the main exceptions — otherwise let ski patrol come to you.

Getting to medical care

Most major resorts have a clinic or mountain doctor at or near the base. These are typically private services — they charge, and the costs are real. A GP consultation in a French ski resort clinic might cost €60 to €120. An X-ray on top of that. An MRI referral on top of that. Keep receipts for everything from the first moment. Your travel insurance needs documentation to pay out.

Emergency numbers by country:

France: 15 (SAMU) or 112
Austria: 144 or 112
Switzerland: 144 or 112
Italy: 118 or 112
Canada: 911
United States: 911
New Zealand: 111
Australia: 000
Universal (most countries): 112

Helicopter rescue: if you are in a remote location or on terrain inaccessible by sled, rescue may be by helicopter. Helicopter rescues in the Alps typically cost between €5,000 and €15,000 without insurance. This is why insurance is not optional and why the cheapest policy is not automatically the right one. Check that your policy explicitly covers mountain rescue and helicopter evacuation — some budget policies do not.

What your employer needs to know

Tell your employer as soon as possible — the same day if at all feasible. Most employers have a procedure for seasonal staff injuries and absence. They need to know early both to manage rotas and because some employment protections have notification requirements that are time-sensitive.

Sick pay entitlements vary significantly by country:

France: State sick pay (indemnités journalières de Sécurité Sociale) is available after a qualifying period of employment. Your employer should be able to tell you whether you've met the threshold. This is separate from any contractual sick pay your employer may offer on top.
UK (for UK-based operators): Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) applies from the fourth day of illness or incapacity, provided you meet the earnings threshold. Some employers pay more than SSP — check your contract.
Austria: Krankengeld from the BVAEB or ÖGK insurance fund, depending on your employment classification. Entitlement kicks in after a qualifying period.
Switzerland: Cantonal rules vary but most employment includes accident insurance (UVG/LAA) that covers ski injuries sustained outside work — this is not the same as workplace accident insurance but is often included in standard Swiss employment packages.

The core message: don't assume you'll receive nothing while injured. Read your contract before you need to know what it says, and ask your employer's HR contact as soon as an injury occurs. The window for claiming can be short.

The specific injuries

Knee injuries — MCL and ACL

The most common serious ski injury. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is injured most often by twisting falls at speed, catching an edge, or falls where the ski doesn't release. An MCL (medial collateral ligament) injury is often less severe but still significant.

You will need an MRI to properly assess a serious knee injury — most resort clinics can refer you to an imaging centre, usually in the nearest town. ACL tears require surgery and typically six to nine months of rehabilitation. That ends your current season and likely the following one if recovery overlaps.

If you suspect an ACL tear, begin your insurance curtailment claim immediately — do not wait for surgical confirmation. Most policies that include curtailment cover require you to notify them promptly, not retrospectively.

Fractures

Wrist fractures (from catching yourself in a fall), collarbone fractures (from impacts), and skier's thumb (ulnar collateral ligament of the thumb, from a pole-strap catching in a fall) are common ski fractures. Emergency treatment at the resort clinic, imaging, and then a decision about whether you can remain on resort or need to return home.

A wrist fracture in a ski instructor ends the season. A wrist fracture in a chalet host may not — it depends on your role. Have that conversation honestly with your employer rather than trying to hide an injury.

Concussion

Concussion management in ski sports has improved significantly in the last decade. Ski patrols take it seriously and you should too. Symptoms — headache, confusion, nausea, sensitivity to light, feeling "foggy" — can emerge minutes or hours after an impact.

Return-to-skiing protocols for concussion typically involve a staged process over several days: rest first, then symptom-free activity, then non-contact skiing, then full return. Do not skip stages. A second concussion before the first has fully resolved is significantly more dangerous.

After the immediate treatment

Documentation: keep every receipt, every medical report, every referral letter. Photograph documents if you don't have originals. Create a folder — physical or digital — from day one. Insurance claims for complex injuries can involve multiple submissions over weeks.

Notify your insurer promptly. Most policies specify a notification window for hospitalisation or major claims — typically 24 to 48 hours. Missing this window can complicate your claim even if the underlying treatment is covered. Call your insurer's emergency line early, not when you're back home.

Employment rights around termination: if you're unable to work for an extended period, understand your employer's rights and yours. In most European countries, employers cannot simply terminate a seasonal contract because of a genuine injury — but notice periods and sick leave maximums apply, and they vary. If your season ends early due to injury, you may be entitled to payment in lieu of notice. Get clarity on this from your employer or a local workers' rights organisation before you're in a difficult position.

The mental side

An injury mid-season is genuinely hard in a way that's difficult to explain to people who haven't done one. You've sacrificed a lot to be there — savings, career stability, relationships in some cases. The mountain is right outside. Your friends are out skiing. The season clock is ticking and you can't participate. That combination produces a specific kind of frustration and low mood that's common and worth naming.

Seek support from the people around you — your fellow seasonaires, your employer's welfare contact if they have one, and if the resort or your employer has an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), use it. These programs exist for exactly this kind of situation and are underused.

Rest is genuinely part of recovery. Boredom is not a reason to return to skiing before you're cleared.

The best preparation for an injury is having the right insurance before you fly. A policy that covers mountain rescue, helicopter evacuation, ACL surgery, and curtailment costs is not a luxury — it's the minimum. See the ski season travel insurance guide for what to look for and what to avoid.

And reducing your injury risk in the first place comes down to arriving fit. See how to get ski fit before your season for a full pre-season training programme.