Overview
A wife and mother of two teenage girls was killed after falling from her snowmobile on a lake and being struck by a snowmobiler travelling behind her. Fault was disputed, but forensic expert evidence established that the other rider struck her, leading to a $776,000 settlement shortly after a pre-trial conference.
Key Takeaways
- Settlement amount: $776,000
- Accident type: Fatal snowmobile collision
- Fatality: Wife and mother of two teenage girls
- Collision circumstances: Client fell from her snowmobile and was struck by a rider following behind
- Notable legal issue: Defendants denied the collision and blamed the client for the accident
- Expert evidence: Forensic evidence established that the other snowmobiler struck the client
- Resolution method: Settlement shortly after a pre-trial conference
The Case
Our client was spending an evening at a cottage with her husband and friends. Everyone had arrived by snowmobile and had been drinking. Later that evening, when it was dark, the group decided to ride their snowmobiles on the lake.
While riding on the lake, our client fell from her snowmobile. A friend who was following too closely behind struck her, and she died from the impact.
The friend did not admit fault or acknowledge striking our client. The defendants instead blamed her for the accident because she had been drinking and had fallen from her snowmobile. Forensic expert evidence was used to establish that the friend had struck and killed her. The case settled shortly after a pre-trial conference for $776,000.
Why It Matters
Responsibility for the fatal collision was strongly disputed, including whether the other snowmobiler had struck the client at all. Forensic expert evidence was used to establish what happened despite those denials.
The $776,000 settlement resolved the case after the loss of a wife and mother of two teenage girls.