West Plains ATV Accident Attorney

Fighting For ATV Accident Victims in Missouri

All-Terrain Vehicles, or ATVs, have become increasingly popular over the last few years. While ATV's can be quite enjoyable to ride, they can also cause serious injury for a person who fails to ride in a safe manner. People use ATVs for both recreational and professional purposes, particularly in rural Missouri.

These vehicles do not have seatbelts and offer very little protection for a driver or passenger when an accident takes place. If you have been injured after being in a collision in which you were thrown off of an ATV, a West Plains, MO personal injury lawyer should supplement the medical professional attending to your accident.

Injured in an ATV accident in West Plains? Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with our experienced legal team.

When Preventative Safety Is Not Enough

ATVs are widely used by adults and teenagers alike; by workers, farmers and sports enthusiasts. As such, it is vastly important that the vehicles be operated safely and only by those who are experienced enough to do so with the proper precautions. 

Unfortunately, even the best-laid plans and well-thought out measures of preventive safety are not always enough to counter the harms that can be caused in an ATV accident. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), well over 150,000 people were transported to the Emergency Room in 2007 for injuries that were sustained in an ATV-related accident.

What Is the Most Common Type of ATV Accident?

All-terrain vehicles are most frequently reported in accidents that involve flipping or rolling, causing drivers and passengers alike to be thrown out of the vehicle or possible even pinned underneath it in the process. In fact, passengers are sometimes the most at risk when an ATV is involved in an accident, because the back "seats" of these vehicles were not originally intended for passenger use.

Inherent Dangers of All-Terrain Vehicles

The U.S. Department of Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released information on the dangers inherent in the design of ATVs, specifically citing their general lack of stability, especially when compared to other motor vehicle designs. Specifically, the federally regulated administration has advised that these vehicles are not intended to be driven on regularly paved roads, and doing so could lead to further possibility for harm.

Who Is Most At-Risk for ATV Accidents?

Among those most at risk when operating an all-terrain vehicle are teenagers / adolescents. Studies have found that children and minors of all ages tend to lack the physical and mental developments required to both physically and cognitively operate ATVs under safe circumstances. 

As such, their risk is believed to be greater than other drivers of such vehicles. The contrast is so dramatic, in fact, that adolescents and teens are reported to have the most severe injuries of all ATV accident victims. 

In fact, according to the organization "Concerned Families for ATV Safety," between the years 1982 and 2010, at least 2,775 children were killed as the result of ATV accidents. Not only that, but since 1997, there has been a 150% increase in the chances of a child under the age of 18 being injured as the result of an accident on an all-terrain vehicle. 

At Henry, Williams & Kinder, P.C. we understand how devastating it is to watch your child suffer from an accident that could have been prevented. If you lost a child because of an ATV accident, no amount of compensation will be able to make up for their loss. 

The Importance of Determining Fault in an ATV Accident

This being said, it is important to determine if anyone was at fault in the accident so that the same thing does not happen to another child and another family. Whether someone was driving negligently or there was a design defect, call to see how we could help you.

The Extensive Medical Costs Associated With ATV Accident Injuries

The victims of ATV accidents will very likely require extensive medical treatment and may need further assistance from a professional attorney who can help them make a personal injury claim or appear in court if need be. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent extensively reconstructing and bringing back to life those victims who were injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident. 

Sometimes, the cost reaches into the millions. Depending on the severity of the injuries sustained in an accident of this nature, surgery, rehabilitation and ongoing medical treatment may be required – all of which are quite costly, sometimes even unaffordable for the victims involved.

Physically, mentally and emotionally, the victim of an ATV accident may suffer more than even imaginable. For example, a person who suffers from head trauma after being crushed under an ATV accident in which the vehicle flipped over and onto the driver will very likely suffer extensively. 

Not only will he / she feel the physical pain of damage to the head, they may also experience cognitive inabilities and emotional stress from the incident as well. Post-traumatic stress can also develop among some post-accident victims.

Contact Our ATV Accident Lawyer Today

When the cost of recovery for an ATV accident is more than unaffordable and that accident was caused wrongly, the victim has every right to take legal action. State and federal laws strictly regulate the manufacturers and sellers of these vehicles specifically to avoid the potential for accidents. 

Wrecks still occur, however, and when they do an attorney will need to review the case in order to determine manufacturer wrongdoing is to blame for the incident. In these cases, victims may be awarded compensation that will accommodate for the costs of their medical bills, recovery expenses, time off work and overall physical and emotional pain.

Call Henry, Williams & Kinder, P.C. today for a free consultation with our experienced legal team. No recovery - no fees!

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