ATV’s or “All Terrain Vehicles” can be a fun and exciteing way for family and friends to spend a weekend. They are a lot of fun, and even children without any driving experience are able to get behind the wheel and go for a spin, or race. While that is all fun and games, accidents happen all too often for these drivers, both young and old. In Indiana, there have been 3 separate accidents recently, including a young boy that received serious injuries; he was only 11 years old. The other two incidents involved older drivers.
According to the Department of Natural Resources, one of the injured drivers was out for a spin and somehow he lost control of his vehicle and then he crashed into a ditch. At the time of the accident, he was not wearing a helmet however, and according to reports he had no other means of safety gear on either. His accident involved several broken bones and other injuries when the ATV rolled over him in the crash. The third man was racing in a fundraiser, and when he was driving his car started veering towards one side of the road and when he sought to correct the vehicle he lost control and it too overturned on him. His chest was crushed and is in critical condition for his injuries. The 11 year old boy was driving the ATV and crashed and was thrown from the vehicle, severely damaging his face.
There have been many concerns with the usage of ATV’s because so many riders are either receiving injuries or losing their lives. According to the Concerned Families for ATV Safety, children under the age of 16 are at an extreme risk for injury, and should not be allowed to get behind the wheel. According to their statistics 1,218 die each year from these accidents, and children stand less of a chance of survival when crushed under this 800 pound machine. Each year the statics are rising in number for the death tolls of children who have been on ATV’s and were involved in an accident.
Even for those children who survive these accidents, the injuries could be severe and even life changing. When crushed under an ATV, many injuries include brain damage, and that can affect the child for the rest of their life. If you or someone you know has had a child receives an injury on an ATV, consider taking legal action. There can be many malfunctions when it comes to an ATV, especially when driven by a child who does not know how to handle a normal vehicle. Tragedies happen every day, don’t let your children be one of these victims. Contact the law office of Freedman & Freedman today for more informaiton.