ATV Accident Lawyer
Used for both recreational and rescue purposes, All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) provide a way to access areas that are hard to reach with traditional vehicles.
However, thousands of injuries and fatalities have been reported from their use. Of particular concern is the fact that over a quarter of the people involved in ATV accidents are children. ATVs are defined as three- or four-wheeled motorized vehicles primarily used for off-road riding. The first ATVs were manufactured with only three wheels and practically no safety standards. However, there were so many accidents and injuries that the federal justice department filed a lawsuit claiming that ATVs violated the Consumer Product Safety Act. This led the ATV manufacturers to replace the three-wheeled models that were prone to rollovers with more stable four-wheeled ones (also referred to as “quads”). In spite of this, far too many deaths and injuries still occur. Furthermore, the dangerous three-wheeled models were not recalled and are still being used.What Causes ATV Accidents?
There are many different causes of ATV accidents, including:- Driver inexperience
- Improper positioning
- No protective gear
- Driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Too many riders
- Unsafe speed
- Manufacturing defects.
Common ATV Injuries
The most common injury-causing ATV accidents involve the vehicle’s rolling or flipping over. ATVs are prone to rollovers because they do not respond well to steering input by the driver, particularly on turns. They are slow to react at first and then they snap around, from a severe understeer to a severe oversteer. Furthermore, ATVs should not be operated on public streets because, although they can reach highways speeds, their low-pressure tires aren’t designed for paved roads. These design issues are problematic enough for any operator. When coupled with the underdeveloped reflexes of children as well as their impaired ability to perceive risk, ATV operation becomes an inherently dangerous activity that can cause serious injuries such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury, neck injury, fractures, dislocations and chest injuries.All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) aren’t held to federal safety standards for cars and trucks, and are instead regulated by the states.
As such, a patchwork of regulations exists, with states setting varying standards for required safety equipment, operator licensing, the number of allowed passengers and the minimum age of the driver.