This is a guy I have done work for. He was mauled while on a hunting trip and spent a lot of time getting put back together. I had no idea this was going to happen. Don’t understand how an outfitter could be held responsible for a bear attack. I suppose a body can sue for about anything.
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2012/11/01/2626568/trial-under-way-in-lawsuit-over.html
I regret what happened to him but the guide should have gotten him to sign a waiver and should carry a hefty insurance policy to cover his assets. I was recently reading about a lawsuit in Louisiana where a women broke her nose when she ran into a wall at a “haunted house” where she was startled. Another woman in Kansas I think, broke her leg in a corn maze on Halloween when she fell after being startled by a guy in a “Jason” costume with a chainsaw. Neither was awarded anything. A young lady in Chicago fell of a stair bannister and was killed, her parents are suing the hotel.
I would guess almost all guides have such waivers as a requirement before going hunting… But I am sure many are lax on getting them signed every time. AK guides have a required document that they can adjust as they need, but the State gives an example that is fairly thorough…
The year was a tough one for bear-human interactions and MT gets a huge F in my opinion for their handling of several aspects of it. For example, one sow is believed to have mauled two different folks when surprised. She should have been killed after the first. She raised three cubs that now believe biting people is good policy.
Keep the animals and keep themnumerous, but keep them wild, too. When dangerous critters get too comfy around people you have allowed a hazard to develop… And should be held accountable.
In this case I believe the guide left the hunter on a ridge to watch for elk while the guide went down into the timber to see if they could be driven past the hunter. So the hunter was alone… In AK that might not pass a “Standards of Care” type test.
There was a woman who bought an RV and took a trip. In the process she decided she wanted a sandwich so, she put on the cruise control, let go of the wheel and went back to make her sandwich. This caused her to have an accident which her sued for because the salesman never explained to her about the cruise control. She won and got a new RV and some large amount of money.
for most of these law suits the case never goes to court and the lawyer doesn’t want it too. The defendants insurance company looks at the lawsuit, adds up what it will cost to fight it. And then offers a percentage based on the suit being dismissed. It saves money for the company but costs us all in the long run because it encourages frivolous law suits. But to combat it we need a change in the laws on filing law suits.
Eric
Except Wolves, I guess…they get a little too close to home? If they would just stay up on the mountain and eat berries and grubs…
Just went caribou hunting last weekend in an area I have hunted for nearly 50 years. In the beginning there were moose all over the place. After a dose of former Gov Tony Knowles and the complete dismantling of the wolf control programs it got to the point where I had not seen a single moose in the area for several years. During three days of glassing for caribou (we saw over 1k of them) we saw over 100 moose! The difference was a serious wolf and bear control program.
We did not see a bear, but did see fresh tracks in the snow of a decent bear.