The first real spring weekend in Alaska has a way of making everyone ambitious. The snow finally gives up a little ground, the sun sticks around longer, and suddenly people are squeezing in a last ski run down the Seward Highway, swapping out the snowmachine for the jet ski, and deciding that this is the weekend the yard finally gets handled.
That same week also brings International Be Kind to Lawyers Day on April 8, which feels like a good moment for a friendly reminder: one of the kindest things any community can do for the people who serve it is to stay safe, look out for one another, and avoid preventable injuries whenever possible — including on roads that look dry but may still hold ice in the shade.
Spring is fun. It is also the season when injuries happen on the quick trip, the routine errand, the project that seemed straightforward.
Most yardwork injuries do not happen because people are reckless. They happen because someone is moving quickly, using a tool they have not touched in months, or trying to finish one last task before dinner. A slip on a wet deck. A stumble carrying fuel. A strained back lifting more than expected. A fall stepping off a trailer or ladder onto soft, uneven ground.
- Check your footing first. Breakup season leaves mud, ruts, black ice, and soft shoulders in all the wrong places — including driveways and walkways that look clear.
- Still drive with headlights on, seatbelts buckled, and emergency equipment in the vehicle. Check your route before you go and anticipate black ice in shaded areas and on bridges.
- Consider the value of a dash cam. Spring driving conditions change fast, and documentation matters.
- If you are switching insurance from a snowmachine to a motorcycle, jet ski, or boat, do not let that coverage gap catch you mid-season.
Sometimes an injury is not only about the task itself. Shared walkways, poorly maintained steps, or unsafe access to a property — including gutters, soft shoulders, and icy approaches — can play a role too.
If that happens, take photos if you can, get names of witnesses, and make sure a report is made to the business or property owner’s insurer.
For a calm next-step guide, visit What to Do After an Accident.
For more about property-related injury issues, see Premises Liability.