Snowmachiner Killed By Well Casing. The Law...
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Stolach family needs to hire an accident reconstructionist.
The Alaska State Troopers report that Dewey J. Staloch, 61,died Sunday after his snowmachine collided with a well casing. Mr. Staloch was declared dead at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, where he was taken after the accident on Calder Road in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough east of Wasilla.
Troopers responded at 5:50 p.m. to a snowmachine collision to find Staloch, who was riding a 1993 Arctic Cat, had struck a metal well casing in the yard. He was apparently not wearing a helmet, and alcohol was not a factor in the collision, according to troopers. Mr. Staloch's family needs to do...
1. Cooperate with the police: Get a copy of the police report ASAP. It will include an investigation into whether the well casing that killed Mr. Staloch was illegally placed. If the well casing was illegally placed, then whomever did it might be responsible for the foreseeable damages they caused ... killing Mr. Staloch.
2. Watch the Statute of Limitations: We only have two years from the date of death to settle wrongful death claims, or file a wrongful death lawsuit. Keep a close eye on this deadline. If the Staloch family misses this deadline, they could (and very likely will) be stripped of valuable legal rights.
3. Hire an Accident Reconstructionist: Find an attorney who is well connected with engineers and accident reconstruction experts. It is important that an objective and qualified person investigate this tragedy, and determine who was at fault for Mr. Staloch's passing. Take photos of the scene. Gather photos of Mr. Staloch, so that the story of his life is not lost. Remember, Alaska negligence/tort law exists to ensure that people who act carelessly are held accountable. It is possible that this well casing is properly placed, and no claim will result. It is also possible that this well casing was negligently placed and a nightmare waiting to happen. You need to find out which applies in this case.
Finally, keep the evidence. Be sure to keep the snowmobile and all other evidence related to this loss.
The Stolach family is in our prayers.
For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.