Injured in a Snowmobile Accident?

Snowmobile Accidents Attorney in Eau Claire, River Falls & La Crosse, Wisconsin

Snowmobiling is very popular in Wisconsin during the winter months. Our state offers hundreds of miles of snow-covered trails and frozen lakes, which can make for exhilarating rides. Yet this thrilling pastime carries serious risks, with severe injuries that could prove catastrophic or even fatal. If you have been injured in a snowmobiling accident due to someone else’s negligence, or if you have lost a loved one in a snowmobiling accident, Bye, Goff & Rohde can help.

Our snowmobile accident attorneys in Eau Claire, River Falls, and La Crosse can hold negligent parties accountable for causing or contributing to your injuries. This includes other people who may have been out on the snow, rental companies that provided you with a snowmobile, or snowmobile manufacturers who designed unsafe vehicles. Our law firm is dedicated to helping victims of snowmobile crashes recover full compensation and take the first step toward rebuilding their lives.

Understanding the Dangers of Snowmobile Accidents

According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, there were 127 reported snowmobile accidents in 2023. Those snowmobile crashes resulted in non-fatal 106 injuries and 16 deaths.

Snowmobile accidents differ starkly from standard motor vehicle or even all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents. These machines are lightweight yet powerful, often capable of reaching high speeds across uneven, unpredictable, and snowy terrain. Without sufficient safety training, someone on a snowmobile can suffer catastrophic injuries or even a fatality.

Beyond the impact during collision, we also need to consider the cold and possible remote winter environments where these kinds of accidents take place. It could take time for emergency crews to reach those injured in a snowmobile collision. Delays like these increase the chances of more serious injuries due to exposure to the elements.

Serious Injuries Resulting from Snowmobile Accidents

Many of the injuries experienced in snowmobile crashes are similar to those in auto accidents. Common injuries our lawyers have seen include:

• Broken Bones – A snowmobile crash can cause severe bodily injury, including broken limbs, cracked ribs, skull fractures, and damaged or dislocated joints.
• Burn Injuries – Second-degree and third-degree burns in a snowmobile crash could be caused by ruptured fuel lines, post-crash fires, and heated engine parts exposed in the accident.
• Hypothermia/Exposure – After a snowmobile collision, rapid emergency response is essential. Crash survivors may experience frostbite and hypothermia if local emergency crews do not arrive at the accident scene in time.
• Neck Injuries – Major neck injuries in a snowmobile crash can reduce a person’s head movement and cause numbness or pain that radiates into the shoulders and upper arms.
• Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) – In addition to back and neck injuries, serious snowmobile accidents can damage the vertebrae or even the spine, causing partial paralysis, paraplegia, or quadriplegia.
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – Even if someone is wearing a helmet, severe head trauma in a snowmobile accident can cause a concussion, brain hemorrhaging, and other kinds of serious TBIs.

Even when victims survive an accident, the recovery process can take months or years, and financial obligations continue mounting. Our Wisconsin snowmobile accident lawyers can help note the full extent of your injuries, how long it took to fully recover, and the lasting impact your injuries had on your quality of life and ability to earn a living.

Common Causes of Snowmobile Crashes in Wisconsin

Snowmobile accidents have numerous causes, whether they involve the driver of the vehicle, someone else on the slopes or the trail, or the makers of the snowmobile. Some of the most common causes of snowmobile accidents our Wisconsin attorneys have seen include the following:

• Reckless Driving – In the thrill of the moment, some people on snowmobiles take unnecessary risks. Many accidents are caused by speeding and taking chances while out on the snow.
• Intoxicated Driving – Operating a snowmobile while drunk or under the influence of drugs increases the likelihood of a serious accident, endangering the person on the snowmobile as well as anyone else who may be nearby.
• Driver Inexperience – People who are inexperienced while on a snowmobile may not know how to react to potential hazards while out on the snow or how to properly maneuver the vehicle. Drive with caution when you’re first starting out to avoid serious injury.
• Mechanical Failures – Mechanical failures related to a snowmobile may be due to design defects, manufacturing and QA errors, or lack of maintenance from a company that rented the snowmobile for use.
• Poorly Maintained Trails – Trails themselves may be poorly maintained or lack proper warning wings. This increased the risk of striking trees or low-hanging branches, or potentially riding out onto a frozen lake with thin ice.

If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in a snowmobile accident, you need help from personal injury attorneys who understand state laws, the technical aspects of these vehicles, and the emotional stakes involved. Here at Bye, Goff & Rohde, our attorneys are prepared to hold liable parties accountable for their negligence. It doesn’t matter if we’re taking on snowmobile manufacturers like BRP (Ski-Doo), Polaris, and Yamaha, or looking at local authorities in Eau Claire, River Falls, and La Crosse. Our snowmobile accident lawyers represent the people of Wisconsin and their families after suffering serious injuries or a tragic loss.

The Legal Process After a Snowmobile Accident

The legal process begins with our attorneys preserving evidence and evaluating it. We act quickly because remote crash sites, changing winter weather conditions, and other factors can affect the damaged snowmobile and erase vital information.

Bye, Goff & Rohde immediately dispatches investigator teams to gather witness accounts, photograph the scene, and retrieve maintenance records or trail logs pertinent to the case.

You Have a Limited Time to File a Snowmobile Accident Claim

In Wisconsin, you have three years from the date of the snowmobile accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you lost a loved one in a fatal snowmobile accident, you have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Filing a legal action too late may permanently bar your recovery. It’s best to speak with our Wisconsin snowmobile accident lawyers as soon as possible so our law firm can get the legal process started. Learn more in our article, “What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney?”

You Can Still Collect Damages If You Were Partly at Fault

Wisconsin employs a modified comparative negligence system. This means that you can still receive compensation after a snowmobile accident even if you were partly at fault. As long as you were 50% or less liable for the crash, you are still entitled to damages. Your percentage of blame will be deducted from any damages awarded.

For example, say that you were awarded $1,000,000 in damages after a snowmobile accident, but the jury determined that you were 20% at fault. You would still receive $800,000 in damages.

Contact Our Snowmobile Accident Attorneys in Wisconsin

If you or a loved one has been injured in a snowmobile accident in Eau Claire, River Falls, or La Crosse, our lawyers are ready to help. Serious injuries call for serious lawyers, and Bye, Goff & Rohde is ready to stand with you. To request a free consultation with experienced snowmobile accident attorneys, contact our Wisconsin law offices today. Let us advocate so that you can begin to heal.