ATV Accident Lawyers: Beware that Injuries, Deaths Rise During Summer Months
As the temperature goes up over the summer months, so does the national rate of deaths and serious injury among ATV riders and passengers. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has put out a recent statement urging safety, particularly during the summer months.
The Baltimore accident lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. represent individuals who have suffered an ATV injury that may have been prevented with the exercise of reasonable care by the vehicle owner or a property owner. Unfortunately, over the summer these injuries tend to occur much more frequently as recreational use of ATVs increases among individuals who are not experienced or fail to exercise available safety measures. This can result in catastrophic or fatal injuries.
According to the U.S. CPSC, this year there have already been at least 130 adults and 28 children under the age of 16 who died as a result of accidents on ATVs, and they expect the rate of deaths to continue to increase as the summer moves forward. Over Memorial Day weekend alone, 14 adults and three children were killed on an ATV.
Loss of control by inexperienced drivers, being thrown from an ATV, overturning an ATV or colliding with a fixed object or another vehicle are the leading causes of ATV injuries.
While many of these tragic accidents are caused by negligence of the driver, in some of the cases, particularly involving young children or others riding as passengers, financial compensation may be available through an ATV injury lawsuit if the accident was caused by the negligence of the driver or a property owner.
Unfortunately, in the vast majority of cases, the ATV driver has little, if any, training on use of the vehicle, which has been shown to reduce the risk of serious injury or death.
The U.S. CPSC has issued a series of recommendations to promote safe use of ATVs:
- Put all ATV drivers, adult or children, through an ATV safety course taught by a certified instructor.
- Always wear a helmet and other protective gear when riding an ATV.
- Do not carry a passenger or ride as a passenger on a single-rider ATV, or allow more passengers than any ATV was designed to carry.
- Do not drive ATVs on paved roads.
- Children under the age of 16 should never drive an ATV and children under the age of 6 should never be passengers.
ATV ACCIDENT LAWSUITS
The Baltimore personal injury lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. review potential cases involving ATV accidents that occur in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. While the most cases investigated do not involve circumstances that do not provide an avenue for financial recovery on behalf of those who have suffered a catastrophic injury or death, it is important to contact our experienced ATV accident lawyers as early as possible after an injury so that the circumstances surrounding the injury can be reviewed and evaluated.
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