Safety Measures To Help Prevent Crashes

Before firing up your snowmachine, learn to ride. Training courses throughout Alaska are available for both new and experienced riders. Safety training for you and your family might be the difference between survival and tragedy.

Check out the training options through: Alaska Safe Riders and Alaska Avalanche School.

What To Do After A Snowmachine Crash

In one case, a quick-thinking boy saved his father from certain death after a serious snowmachine accident.

The boy and his father were enjoying the Lake Tahoe back-country on snowmachine. The dad lost control of his snowmachine and crashed. Injured with broken bones, the dad was unable to get up on his own. Furthermore, there was no cellphone service, so he sent his 9-year-old boy on his snowmachine to find help.

The boy rode 20 minutes and found a tour group. The tour guide radioed for assistance. The local sheriff’s department dispatched its search and rescue unit, along with some firefighters. The boy led the rescue team to his father, who at that point was looking weak and in serious pain. An hour after the snowmachine accident, the father had been helicoptered out of the area and was in surgery to repair his broken leg and resolve internal bleeding.

According to the boy’s mother, her son’s responsible actions led her to trust his judgment more. It certainly is fortunate that he was so resourceful for his age and was there to help his father after a snowmachine crash.

What Caused The Crash?

Whenever something like this happens with a snowmachine in Alaska, it is important to look at potential design defects. Design defects that can contribute to snowmobile crashes include faulty brakes, inadequate stability, or poorly designed suspension systems leading to loss of control, especially on uneven or icy terrain. 

Was the snowmachine defective in its manufacture or design? Did this lead to it being vulnerable to the problem that led to the snowmachine crash? If it can be proven that design or manufacturing defects cased a crash, then injured parties may be able to seek financial restitution in court.

Johnson Law has been helping Alaskans for nearly 30 years. It’s who we are.

And while we hope you never need us… We’re here if you do. ~ Doug Johnson

Please call Johnson Law to discuss your case: (907)277-3090 or use our online contact form.

Sources: Outdoor Hub; Products Liability in Alaska—A Practitioner’s Overview; Alaska Safe Riders; and Alaska Avalanche School

Image Source: In Deep Alaska