injury-attorneys.com

Sacramento ATV Accident Lawyers
Fighting for the Injured

ATV’s or All Terrain Vehicles, were historically only used on farms and ranches for basic utilitarian purposes.  However, in recent years, ATV’s have exploded in popularity to the point that they are now used by countless people every day for recreational purposes.  While these vehicles can be fun and exciting, they are also dangerous.  As a result, ATV accidents happen at a high rate.  Below you’ll find a brief overview of this issue, but if you’ve been harmed in such an incident, seek the help of a Sacramento ATV accident lawyer immediately.

Why ATV’s Are Dangerous

ATV’s are dangerous, and some would argue inherently dangerous, because of their basic design.  These powerful vehicles can travel at high speeds, and they are often used in off-road settings that feature hills, ramps, valleys and sharp turns.  The normal wheel base on an ATV is also quite narrow, which means that even though they seem maneuverable, they often struggle with tight curves and fail to negotiate steep climbs properly.

Another reason that these vehicles are dangerous is because so many young people are using them.  Those who do not otherwise understand how to drive should not be behind the wheel of these powerful machines.  The most ‘typical’ type of ATV accident involves rollover crashes, where someone attempts to negotiate a curve or a hill or decline and the vehicle does not properly respond.  As a result, the ATV can wind up on top of someone who has already endured a painful fall.

ATV Accident Statistics

The statistics surrounding ATV accidents tend to reinforce the dangerous nature of these vehicles.  On average, more than 500 people are killed in ATV accidents on an annual basis in the United States, and more than 125,000 ATV accidents lead to injuries that are serious enough to require a visit to the emergency room at the hospital.

This is coupled with the fact that as many as one-third of all ATV accidents involve children under the age of 16, which is normally the age at which someone can legally obtain a driver’s license.  Estimates also indicate that the rate of ATV accidents exceeds the fatality and injury rates of any other type of vehicle, whether it was meant for road travel or not.

How a Sacramento ATV Accident Lawyer Can Help

If you or someone you love has been harmed in an ATV accident, you need to secure legal help as soon as possible.  A legal claim that follows an accident could involve theories of negligence by a driver or passenger, products liability if the ATV did not function properly or both.  Rather than attempt to handle this by yourself, contact the Sacramento ATV accident lawyers at Demas & Rosenthal today to schedule a free initial consultation.