Throughout New York City and New York State, a report has been released from Erie County last week voicing concern at the increase in 2015 of ATV (all-terrain vehicle) accidents and injuries.
It has been reported that most accidents are due to the person operating the vehicle speeding while in unfamiliar terrain. Also often there are too many people riding on one single ATV at any one time, and this overloading means the driver is more likely to lose control, far too often resulting in a serious accident with multiple injuries.
So far this year, there have been 36 reported incidents. This is probably far less than the true figure, as many ATVs are operated on private land. Several of these accidents involved personal injuries of some kind.
The worst accident took place in Newstead in July when a speeding ATV operator lost his life when his vehicle struck a tree. Earlier in the month, a teenager aged 18 years injured three children who were under 16 years of age. He was allegedly speeding and was subsequently charged.
Only last week an ATV driver who was aged 72 was injured after he crashed his almost new ATV. Two young passengers were not seriously injured when they were ejected.
Many ATVs are used on private land, and operators think they can do whatever they want. But this becomes purely idealistic when someone is riding as a passenger on the ATV and they are visitors to the property. Whether an accident takes place on private land or on a public road, all ATV operators are still accountable for their behavior. If they drive in a dangerous way and cause an accident with associated injuries, they have to justify this behavior to the police and to those who are injured.
This means that if negligent behavior such as speeding or the use of drugs or alcohol has contributed to the accident, the police have the right to prosecute, just as any injured victims have the right to file a Long Island Personal Injury Lawyer against the person who caused the accident.
Injuries from an accident on an ATV can be serious and can even be life-changing if a serious brain or spinal cord injury takes place. Serious spinal cord injuries can occur if the passengers are ejected at full force and end up tangled wrecks on the ground nearby.
The latest round of ATV accidents in the New York area have no doubt left families having to deal with the suffering from injuries that have been inflicted on both young and old. They may be entitled to file a personal injury claim from the ATV operator to help to pay for medical costs, loss of earnings and pain and suffering while the victim is recovering.
Successful personal injury claims are normally the outcome of the work carried out by an experienced New York and Long Island personal injury attorney like Richard S. Jaffe Esq., who focuses on winning personal injury claims for victims of all types of accidents. He offers a free consultation to any accident victims who have been injured through no fault of their own.
You can contact him at the Law Offices of Cohen & Jaffe LLP 2001 Marcus Avenue, Suite W295, Lake Success, NY 11042. Phone: 516-358-6900 or toll free: 800-483-6149.
