The wife of a skier who died after falling from a chairlift at Breckenridge Ski Resort is suing the company along with owner Vail Resorts, claiming negligence caused the man’s death.
Veteran skier John Perucco, 60, was at Breckenridge with a friend on March 17, 2023, when he boarded the Zendo chairlift shortly after it opened, according to a complaint filed in Summit County District Court on Friday.
Perucco, an Illinois resident, had 46 years of skiing under his belt, including 18 years as a volunteer ski patroller.
He tried to clear ice and snow from the seat a few seconds after boarding, but he slid off the chair “suddenly and without warning” before it reached the first pole and fell 25 feet, landing on the back of his head and neck.
The fall broke his spine, clavicle and ribs; damaged his heart and lungs and caused internal bleeding, attorneys from Aspen law firm Kalamaya Goscha and Northglenn firm Ramos Law wrote in the complaint.
Breckenridge Ski Patrol arrived at around 9:20 a.m. and took him by toboggan to the bottom of the mountain, where he was loaded into an ambulance. He died on the way to the hospital.
Breckenridge officials briefly closed the lift to investigate whether the fall was caused by an equipment malfunction and reopened it several hours later, according to the lawsuit.
Attorneys for Perucco’s widow, Victoria Sanko-Perucco, allege Breckenridge staff should have seen and fixed the ice- and snow-covered lift so it was safe for guests but failed to do so, causing his death.
The complaint also claims resort staff did not alert the Colorado Passenger Tramway Safety Board until two hours later, which prevented inspectors from performing a complete investigation because evidence was destroyed when the lift was reopened.
According to a report from the tramway board obtained by The Denver Post, Breckenridge did not violate state regulations by reopening the chair lift because the fall wasn’t caused by an equipment malfunction. State officials did note reopening the lift prevented investigators from conducting a complete on-scene investigation.
Witnesses reported Perucco had twisted to brush something off the chair seat when he fell, according to the state report.
Sanko-Perucco is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages for medical and funeral expenses as well as pain and suffering.
A spokesperson for Breckenridge Ski Resort said the company does not comment on pending litigation.
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