Snowmobiling in Ontario is a big business. There are currently over 30,000 km of snowmobile trails in Ontario alone. In 2013 OFSC (Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs) was able to sell close to 42,000 early trail permits with thousands more sold during the rest of the season. The trails are all professionally groomed, staked, patrolled, and even properly marked with signage. Even with all this preparation accidents occur fairly regularly.
Snowmobiles are off road vehicles with a substantial amount of power. To put it in perspective, your common ATV or quad has around 50-60 horsepower, a snowmobile will easily have double that amount, with higher end units having over 200 horsepower. These high-power machines have the ability to easily travel faster than 100 MPH (160KPH).
All OFSC trails have a zero alcohol tolerance and a speed limit of 50 km/h but this does not stop a lot of riders. In fact traveling above 50km/h is extremely common place. The issue at hand is most trails are quite narrow and have numerous hazards within a very close proximity to riders. Trees, rocks, posts, and fences are a few examples of immovable objects riders frequently hit.
The OFSC takes some money from every pass sold to cover the liability Insurance policy it has for clubs, volunteers, and landowners, that have trails cross their property. In addition to that Your OFSC membership offers a $3000 accidental death and dismemberment benefit every rider is entitled to baring an accident.
All other insurance is covered under what you pay your insurance company to cover you for. Be that theft, fire, liability, really whatever you choose to include but usually up to a maximum of $30,000 in value.
What should you do if you are in a snowmobile accident?
First it is important to remember that there are strict time limitations for filing a claim which can be as short as 10 days. If you have been injured call our offices immediately and we can file a claim on your behalf (866) 260-6121.
Secondly it is important to assess the severity of the accident, any person involved in a snowmobile accident being at fault or not may be entitled to accident benefits or compensation. Snowmobiling is governed by similar rules and regulations as those of motorized vehicles. Thus following similar procedures when reporting an accident as that of a vehicular crash will go a long way in ensuring your rights are protected.
Snowmobile accident victims frequently experience head and neck injuries, nerve and skeletal trauma, chest and abdominal injuries, broken legs and arms, or even death. These injuries may be caused by excessive speed, alcohol, drugs, or even another rider’s carelessness and negligence.
Filing a lawsuit or accident claim can be an overwhelming experience but we are here to help you every step of the way. We always listen to your concerns and help make you aware of all your options available. It’s our job to ensure you are awarded the maximum fair amount of compensation so you can make a full recovery.
