ATV Rollovers and Injuries

ATV Rollovers and Crashes Kill and Injure Thousands Every Year

All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are increasingly popular, particularly in rural and wooded areas of the Southeastern United States. Drivers enjoy using the vehicles for off-road fun, on hunting and camping excursions and for hauling yard debris, equipment and other items around their properties. However, ATVs are some of the most dangerous vehicles ever marketed to American consumers. They are notorious for frequent rollovers, even at very low speeds and on very slight grades.

Dangerous Models

The following ATV models are among the most dangerous on the roads today and are involved in thousands of accidents and serious injuries each year:

• Yamaha Rhino
• Polaris Ranger and RZR
• Kawasaki Mule and Teryx
• Arctic Cat
• Suzuki 4 wheelers
• Honda Big Red and four wheelers
• Can-AM Commander
• John Deere Gator
• KYMCO UXV 500
• Diamo Discovery
• QLINK FrontRunner

Serious Injuries Caused by ATV Rollovers

ATVs and their drivers are to blame for thousands of deaths and serious injuries each year. Since 1982, at least 9,633 people — including 2,588 children — were killed in accidents involving ATVs. During the same time, hundreds of thousands of people were treated in emergency rooms for ATV-related injuries — more than a quarter of them children, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The most frequent injuries, including fractures and crushed limbs, have been to riders' legs, ankles and feet occur when the ATVs roll over. The injuries have frequently been so severe that amputation has been required. Drivers and passengers have been killed when their ATV rolled over on them and crushed them. Because of their smaller size, children are especially vulnerable in ATV rollovers, and many children have lost their lives from riding in an ATV.

Risks for Children under the age of 16 in ATVs are the most vulnerable group of ATV riders, comprising more than a quarter of all ATV injuries and deaths. The American Academy of Pediatrics has called ATV use by children "the perfect recipe for tragedy," and in 2000, the Academy made a statement recommending against the use of ATVs by children under the age of 16, saying, "The safe use of ATVs requires the same or greater skill, judgment, and experience as needed to operate an automobile." The American College of Orthopedic Surgeons, whose physician members see the outcomes of children's accidents in ATVs calls children's use of ATVs "a significant public health risk."

Help for Your ATV Case is Here

ATV lawsuits are inherently complex, involving engineering, science, design, manufacturing issues and product liability torts. The Charleston, South Carolina-based attorneys of Yarborough Applegate stand ready with the experience, resources and expertise required to evaluate and successfully litigate ATV rollover cases in South Carolina and throughout the Southeastern United States.

If you've suffered an injury from an ATV, the lawyers of Yarborough Applegate are available for a free consultation to explain how they can help you get compensation for the death of a loved one, medical bills, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.