Your child is badly hurt in an ATV accident at a friend’s house. You find out, while the child is still in the hospital, that the friend’s parent was driving at the time of the crash. Your child was a passenger.
What you’re wondering at that point is if the parent is responsible for the crash and your child’s injuries. Can you get compensation for those medical bills? Below are a few common reasons for ATV accidents:
1. Driving on pavement.
The tires on an ATV are made for dirt, sand and rocks. They can slide on pavement, and their handling is poor.
2. Improper supervision.
Young, inexperienced riders need proper supervision. Adults should be highly involved to ensure that ATVs are used safely.
3. Putting two people on a one-person ATV.
Not all ATVs are made for passengers. Many are made specifically for one driver alone. If the parent allowed your child to ride along on an ATV not designed for pasengers, that could have contributed to the accident and/or the injuries.
4. Doing stunts.
ATVs are often used for dangerous stunts. These could include going over ramps, performing jumps or doing a wheelie, which is the practice of popping the front end up and riding just on the rear wheels. Common or not, many ATVs not designed for these dangerous activities.
5. Breaking the law.
Did the parent know the local laws and regulations governing ATV use? Laws may have accidentally or intentionally been broken.
The more you can learn about how the accident happened, the better. If it does appear that the other parent was at fault, be sure you know all of the legal options that you have.
Source: Offroad Ed, “Causes of ATV Accidents,” accessed Sep. 25, 2017
