ATV Accidents, Why They Happen And How A Los Angeles Accident Lawyer Can Help

An experienced Los Angeles accident lawyer who is used to dealing with ATV related issues has without doubt represented numerous victims. This is generally on the grounds of either the negligence of others, bad vehicle design or defective vehicle parts. These are the three main problem areas for all ATV owners and have to be addressed differently. However whatever the reason, when an accident does occur, it usually results in serious injury or even fatality.

Since the introduction of the very first ATV (the three wheeled ATC90 by Honda) in 1969, they are now used throughout the country extensively for work and play. However even though they are considered a 'plaything' by some, it is easy to forget that some of these are extremely powerful machines and the sports versions are designed to be extremely fast and have the ability to do 0-60 in less than 5 seconds and can travel well in excess of 75 mph.

In the past 5 years it has been estimated that serious accidents involving All Terrain Vehicles have steadily risen by about 5000 a year to around 172,000 injuries and sadly, one third of all ATV related fatalities happen to be children under the age of 16. On average 600 deaths occur every year because of ATV's.

So why do they happen?

Vehicle roll over

A Los Angeles accident attorney who specializes in ATV related accidents states that one of the main causes of fatality is a vehicle roll over. Even though the vehicles are designed to be safer on four wheels, the uneven terrain that the ATV's tend to travel on makes them prone to roll overs. Even though some are fitted with roll bars, crush injuries remain common.

Age/lack of experience

California has some of the strictest ATV laws in the country and you do have to be 18 and over to operate an ATV on public land. Or alternatively children under the age of 14 have to be supervised at all times and one or both parties must be in possession of an ATV safety certificate. However that doesn't cover driving on private land and as a result some children as young as nine and ten have been killed from driving these vehicles. Clearly at that age they lack the experience necessary to drive a powerful vehicle. Even a small 50cc ATV is powerful enough to travel at speed and therefore to cause harm.

Safety gear

Another major cause of ATV related accidents is through not wearing the right safety gear, or wearing no safety gear at all, or alternatively the safety gear is defective. The correct headgear has been proven to protect a person from traumatic head injury by as much as 75% in the event of an accident, yet bizarrely, some states don't even consider it a necessity and it is up to the individual as to whether they choose to wear one or not.

Riding with passengers

Another accident waiting to happen is when an ATV driver decides to take a passenger on the back of a vehicle that is only designed for the driver. A sudden jolt could cause the passenger to be thrown off and as a result they could be badly injured or even killed.

So exactly how can an experienced team of Los Angeles accident lawyers help?

If you have been involved in an ATV accident through no fault of your own, then an experienced lawyer and their team can start an in depth investigation into what happened. From this they can pinpoint where the negligence lies. Whether it is a faulty vehicle part, or human error, or indeed defective safety equipment, a skilled attorney will have the necessary funding in place to be able to call upon a team of experts who can help. The right team of LA accident lawyers will not only act with your interests at heart, but can also look to deliver a full and fair package that maximizes your compensation.