Central New York Injury Lawyer Blog
Have you dusted off and revved up your sled yet? Many Central New York snowmobilers have. Snowmobiling is a fun family sport, and is wildly popular all over Central New York, including Onondaga, Cayuga, Wayne, but especially up in the “North Country” of Oswego County, St. Lawurence County, Jefferson County and Lewis County.
In case you haven’t noticed, though, this great outdoor activity comes with certain risks. Snowmobiles are fast, heavy machines whizzing across diverse terrain, including through wooded areas.
As a Central New York snowmobile accident lawyer, I have seen snowmobile injuries close up. Believe me, they ain’t pretty. I have seen it all; broken arms and legs, head trauma, neck fractures and face injuries. Head and neck injuries are the worst, and can lead to death.
If you were hurt on your sled, I can almost guaranty you were not really on your sled when you were injured. You were ejected. If you were ejected and didn’t hit a fixed object, you’re probably only slightly injured. But if your body hit a stationary object such as a tree or another sled . . . well, you’re probably not reading this.
I have blogged about snowmobile safety before (here), but you can never get enough of a good thing, right? So just keep in mind that speed is the number one cause of most fatal snowmobile accidents. “Dashing through the snow ” makes sense in a one-horse open sleigh, but when the only thing separating you from a tree is two feet of sled, well you’d better slow down.
Here are the most important snowmobile safety rules:
* Wear a helmet. It won’t kill you. In fact, it will save your life.
* Stay in control. This means drive at an appropriate speed for the conditions and your ability and experience.
* Don’t go out at night, but if you do, be really careful, slow, and don’t drink.
* Ride with a buddy;
* Stay on marked trails.
* Be very, very careful crossing streets and roads — lots of accidents here!
* Don’t go across a body of water unless you are 100% sure it is solid frozen.
* Carry a safety kit.
Keep safe!
Mike Bersani
Email me at: bersani@mbk-law.com I’d love to hear from you!
Michael G. Bersani, Esq.
mbk-law.com
Central NY Personal Injury Lawyer Michaels Bersani Kalabanka
1-315-253-3293