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The Dangers of ATV Vehicles
Learn about the dangers of ATVs, the different types of accidents and injuries, as well as safety tips to avoid becoming a statistic.
Watching the Quad Freestyle contest during ESPN’s X Games might make you think you can head out of Greater Los Angeles to the desert and ride like a dare devil. Here’s why this is probably a bad idea.
ATV vehicles, aka quads or 4-wheelers, offer an escape for the recreational user and a means of transportation for the worker. Other similar vehicles, known as Utility Task Vehicles, aka “side-by-sides,” seat 2, 4 or 6 riders. While ATV and UTVs are fun and useful, they can also be very dangerous. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s latest statistics, 337 people died and 101,200 people went to the emergency room because of ATV-related accidents in 2016.
Common ATV accidents include:
- Side rollover accidents
- Backward rollover accidents
- Colliding with objects or other vehicles
- Losing control at high speeds
- Overloading
- Tire blowouts, axel failures, steering issues, and other mechanical breakdowns
- Product defects
ATV Accidents Can Be Life Threatening
These accidents can cause minor, severe, and/or catastrophic injuries as well as fatalities, including:
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries, including permanent paralysis
- Traumatic brain injury
- Fractured and broken bones
- Nerve and neurological damage
- Torn ligaments
- Wrongful death
ATV Safety Tips to Avoid Serious Injuries
To make sure your next ride is a safe one, here are some easy-to-follow tips:
- Take a training course
- Properly inspect your ATV before you ride
- Always wear a helmet and use protective gear, such as goggles, boots, gloves, jacket, and pants
- Only adults and licensed drivers should drive (never children)
- Only have as many people as there are seats for
- Never go too fast for the conditions
- Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Ride on designated trails and avoid steep, jagged terrain and paved roads
- Never engage in stunts or dare devil maneuvers
(For more info, visit the ATV Safety Institute.)
What to Do If Injured in an ATV Accident
If you or a loved one is injured or worse, seek immediate medical treatment and then engage an ATV accident lawyer to investigate, preserve evidence, check for defects, and make sure you get the medical care you need. Liable parties can include the designer, manufacturer, and retailer of the ATV as well as its owner, operator, occupants, and land owners, whether government or private, if a premises defect caused the accident.
The Dominguez Firm has experienced personal injury lawyers to assist and get you the compensation you deserve. If there is no recovery, there is no fee! Call now for a free consultation at 800-818-1818.