BCA and Silverton Avalanche School sued by victims family.

[Kinnikinnick]

https://www.vaildaily.com/news/color...-airbag-maker/

This

https://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/a...=685&accfm=inv



Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[yeahman]

I'm sorry for his family, but this lawsuit is bullshit. You go in the backcountry, you are assuming all the risks associated with that decision, which may result in death. Probably just fishing for a settlement anyway.

[stealurface831]

"and local rescue group."

how exactly do they plan to go about suing the fucking sar team for trying to rescue the guy?

[snowaddict91]

"and local rescue group."

how exactly do they plan to go about suing the fucking sar team for trying to rescue the guy?

Isn't it obvious? They didn't rescue him fast enough, duh.

This was a terrible situation, but surely this will go nowhere.

EDIT: I just skimmed the full Colorado Sun article, it sounds like the Avalanche School is affiliated with the SAR team.

[stealurface831]

EDIT: I just skimmed the full Colorado Sun article, it sounds like the Avalanche School is affiliated with the SAR team.

ah i guess that makes about as much sense as can be expected from such a lawsuit

[old goat]

Hard to get worked up about this lawsuit. This is America. Anyone can sue anyone for anything. Most of these widely publicized suits go away without any publicity. I'll get excited if they win.

[AK47bp]

I like the part where they are suing BCA because he didn’t pull the trigger on his pack.




Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[I've seen black diamonds!]

That incident report is worth a (re)read.

[gimpy]

Very unfortunate for the victims family......but fuck lawyers!!!!

[MakersTeleMark]

Take a deep breath everyone. We have a family with a lost one, a firm with a dart of a chance on a settlement, and just a sad story all around.

Nothing is fucked. Take a breath.

What you can fucking do is learn about micro terrain management in nasty times. That would be a very good take away. I remember this accident vividly and I'm good at getting out of spooky situations and I learned from this one. Meters matter.

[jeremiahyawnson]

That incident report is worth a (re)read.

Things that jumped out at me:

They experienced a whumph when they ascended a shallow region.
They decided to descend a route towards shallower regions to 'avoid' avalanche danger.
Aren't deep slabs easier to trigger from shallow locations?

I wonder if there is a correlation between avalanche fatalities and avalanche danger ratings being lowered after a long period of heightened risk.

I don't get why they would sue BCA, but I also get the frustration with a family member dying in an avalanche while taking a class on how to not die in avalanches. Not passing blame to guides, but I can understand the family perspective.

[MakersTeleMark]

Things that jumped out at me:

They experienced a whumph when they ascended a shallow region.
They decided to descend a route towards shallower regions to 'avoid' avalanche danger.
Aren't deep slabs easier to trigger from shallow locations?

I wonder if there is a correlation between avalanche fatalities and avalanche danger ratings being lowered after a long period of heightened risk.

I don't get why they would sue BCA, but I also get the frustration with a family member dying in an avalanche while taking a class on how to not die in avalanches. Not passing blame to guides, but I can understand the family perspective.

It's called grief. See Taft Conlin.

[Danno]

grief and a search for deep pockets.

[MakersTeleMark]

grief and a search for deep pockets.

a firm with a dart of a chance on a settlement

[galibier_numero_un]

That incident report is worth a (re)read.

Indeed. After re-reading, I dug up the original thread. Some good comments in there, including a quote from the victim's buddy.

Here's the original thread

... Thom

[Buster Highmen]

"Silverton Guides" is misleading.

Mr. Lovell is from Ridgeway, not Silverton, and was hired by The Silverton Avalanche School which has nothing to do with "Silverton Guides".

It would be nice if the title was changed since undue hysteria is brewing.

[goldenboy]

Indeed. After re-reading, I dug up the original thread. Some good comments in there, including a quote from the victim's buddy.


... Thom

That quote will be exhibit A for the defense.

The CAIC report is pretty much required reading. I love me some Caltopo and Gaia, but they're just another tool.

[TahoeJ]

Very unfortunate for the victims family......but fuck lawyers!!!!

This. I mean, suing BCA? What in the actual fuck? I hope BCA counter sues the family's attorneys to cover their legal fees.

[total_immortal]

Before too many pitchforks come out for the family about this lawsuit, there is a good chance a life insurance company is bringing the suit, not the family themselves. Just keep that in mind before accusing the family of looking for a payout.

[Bunion 2020]

^^^

[I've seen black diamonds!]

That quote will be exhibit A for the defense.

The CAIC report is pretty much required reading. I love me some Caltopo and Gaia, but they're just another tool.

One line I ski a few times most years looks to be sub 30 degrees on caltopo, but in fact has a section about 300' long that is more like 33 degrees. You can avoid it by staying left on the way down. Still a good place to ski above treeline in winter if you're (correctly) not worried about remote triggers and halfway decent at tiptoeing through avy terrain.

Another place I ski most winters looks steeper than it is on caltopo. It's mostly around 25 degrees, but the slope angle shading shows sections in the low 30's that are actually tiny and easily avoided. It's a pretty damn safe place to ski under most conditions (although the snow usually sucks).

Both of these spots see a fair amount of traffic. I worry about someone getting in trouble of the former this season. I skied there once last spring and turned around at treeline because of a rapidly growing windslab and a commitment to being ultra conservative in the early days of covid. Saw 5-6 groups of people coming up the approach on my way down. All of them looked like novices (flipping their heel risers for no reason, wearing hard shells while skinning on a fairly warm day, plus they were all off to a late start). The most I'd ever seen on previous trips was one other solo skier (although the area is by no means a secret). Told them all what I had observed and they seemed thankful but not quite sure what I was talking about. Hopefully they were all just planning to ski mellower terrain at/below treeline. But the sense I had was that nobody had any plan at all.

So yeah, the slope angle shading is great tool that needs to be understood to be used effectively.

[skizix]

grief and a search for deep pockets.

SAS is a tiny non-profit. Any settlement enough to even cover lawyer fees would probably put them out of business. Which would be very sad. Despite this tragic incident, they are a first-class outfit (or at least were - ~100 years ago, I got sent, as a 'troller, to a weeklong SAS class, which was nothing short of phenomenal).

[skizix]

Before too many pitchforks come out for the family about this lawsuit, there is a good chance a life insurance company is bringing the suit, not the family themselves. Just keep that in mind before accusing the family of looking for a payout.

No. The first article clearly states that the lawsuit(s) have been filed by the deceased's wife and daughter.

While I definitely sympathize with the family's loss (especially due to the tragic irony of the situation)...it's been a year. Which might not be enough time to truly get beyond grief. But it's enough time, I think, to get to a point of making rational decisions, based on said grief. Which these lawsuits are not. These are bullshit lawsuits (IMHO), which will not succeed, and will only be a waste of time and money (which again, I doubt SAS can afford).

[Kinnikinnick]

No. The first article clearly states that the lawsuit(s) have been filed by the deceased's wife and daughter.

While I definitely sympathize with the family's loss (especially due to the tragic irony of the situation)...it's been a year. Which might not be enough time to truly get beyond grief. But it's enough time, I think, to get to a point of making rational decisions, based on said grief. Which these lawsuits are not. These are bullshit lawsuits (IMHO), which will not succeed, and will only be a waste of time and money (which again, I doubt SAS can afford).

The lawsuits always come from the family, even if they are forced by life insurance companies to sue. If you want the life insurance $s you must play ball.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[skizix]

The lawsuits always come from the family, even if they are forced by life insurance companies to sue. If you want the life insurance $s you must play ball.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Ok, I did not know that. Still, the insurance company should know better, than to think they could win (though BCA's holding company is probably big enough to secure some kind of settlement, I suppose, even if the lawsuit is without merit).