Attorney Eric Hageman won a large settlement (confidential amount) for a woman who was severely injured in a snowmobile accident on Reshanau Lake in Anoka County, MN. The woman was a passenger on a snowmobile at the time of the accident.
After leaving a bar and grill, Eric’s client reluctantly rode with a friend on his snowmobile after the friend gave her his helmet. The friend drove at a high rate of speed on Reshanau Lake, lost control and crashed into a tree near shore. The driver was killed instantly, and Eric’s client flew several feet from the snowmobile and landed in someone’s yard. She lay in the frozen snow, seriously injured, and not able to move. Eventually, she was found and transported by ambulance to the hospital.
The Anoka County Sheriff’s report described the accident as follows:
“The snowmobile went over an area on the lake that was an elevated area of snow/ice. The snowmobile apparently was traveling at a significant speed as the elevated area acted as a ramp. The snowmobile only briefly and partially made contact with the ground before striking a tree on the shoreline, severing the tree at its base and ejecting the driver and passenger onto an outdoor patio type area . . . The driver had given his helmet to the passenger to wear prior to getting on the snowmobile. The driver apparently suffered severe internal injuries and was deceased upon arrival of first responders. Passenger apparently had several fractures. According to friend/witness, driver had been drinking at a bar prior to the crash but did not believe he had drank enough to be intoxicated. Driver was familiar with the area.”
Upon arrival at Regions Hospital, Eric’s client was found to be in shock from the crash. She complained of pain in her left shoulder and left ankle as well as abdominal pain. She was evaluated and it was determined she had suffered a fractured ankle as well as fractured ribs (left 1-9 fractures) and a fractured scapula.
A CT scan of her chest showed multiple contusions in both lungs, along with the multiple rib fractures. The scapula fracture was initially noted on x-ray and once again confirmed on CT.
The next morning, she underwent surgery, specifically a closed reduction and spanning ex-fixator application to her left ankle tri-malleolar fracture, along with fixation of the left distal pilon fracture. Severe neck pain prompted an MRI, which revealed a T4 “impaction” fracture.
She stayed in the hospital for 2 weeks. Her discharge diagnoses were extensive:
- closed fractures of multiple ribs
- ankle fracture
- scapula fracture
- pulmonary contusion
- pneumothorax contusion
- lung contusion
- closed fracture of ankle
- closed fracture of scapula
- spontaneous pneumothorax
- thoracic fracture
- closed fracture of dorsal vertebra
- acute pain, multiple rib fractures
- closed ankle fracture and thoracic vertebral fracture.
Additional surgeries were later required, and she has permanent scarring.
You can contact attorney Eric Hageman for a free consultation with the form below.
Eric helps accident victims and their families hold wrongdoers accountable for bodily injury and wrongful death. He has won many multimillion-dollar settlements and verdicts.
