According to the Florida Highway Patrol, two teens were seriously injured near Wellborn in early June, as a result of an ATV accident. Neither teen was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. The ATV was struck by an on-coming car as the ATV driver failed to yield to a stop sign.
This accident is one of many to occur across the country each year. According to experts, Miami traffic accidents involving ATVs are especially troubling since they often involve injuries to minors and children. These types of accidents often cause Miami brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other types of injuries, since ATVs have fewer protections than cars, which encompass passengers entirely with glass and metal. In a Miami car accident involving an ATV and a passenger car, the passengers in an ATV are likely to be seriously injured due to the impact of the collision and due to the fact that ATVs are prone to rollovers, which can cause even more serious injuries. According to experts, there are several things that can be done to help prevent these types of injuries and accidents:
1) Avoid allowing children on ATVs. While driving a car requires a license and driver training, ATVs have fewer rules, even though the injuries from accidents on these vehicles can be quite severe. Since ATVs have fewer rules, they are attractive to teens and children who may be too young for a license, but it is important to remember that these vehicles are not toys. Read the owner’s manual about safe operation and do not permit children and young teens to operate ATVs unsupervised.
2) Insist on helmets. Miami brain injuries are among the most common injuries in ATV accidents, and in many cases these accidents are preventable with the correct use of helmets. In most fatal ATV accidents, the victims were not wearing a helmet at the time of their accident.
3) Choose your ATV and routes carefully. Look for an ATV with the best safety features and the best safety track record possible. When choosing routes, avoid roadways. ATVs are not safe to share the road with much larger passenger vehicles. As well, avoid ungroomed and rough terrain, especially if you are just learning to ride your ATV. Although ATVs are designed for rougher terrains, they are subject to rollovers and uneven ground increases your risk of a rollover.
4) If you are injured in an ATV accident, speak with a Miami personal injury attorney. The cost of injuries after an ATV accident can be substantial and it can be challenging for victims to recover the fair compensation they may be entitled to under the law. An experienced attorney can investigate the accident and can help determine who the liable parties are, ensuring that you negotiate for fair compensation from a position of strength. If the accident was caused by poor design or a product defect, pursuing legal action can also help prevent other customers from being injured in the same way.
If you are looking for a Miami personal injury after being seriously injured in an ATV accident, contact the Flaxman Law Group to arrange for a free accident consultation to discuss your case. With law offices conveniently located right in Miami and a legal team that has decades of experience with Florida personal injury law, the Flaxman Law Group is poised to answer your questions about your rights and options.