A new federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) report on deadly accidents last year that involved all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) was recently released. An ATV is an off-road motorized vehicle with three or four low pressure tires, a straddle seat, and handlebars. Recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) have a bench or bucket seat and were not included in the report.
By the end of December 2009, the CPSC had reports of 10,281 ATV-related deaths that occurred between 1982 and 2009. In 2009, there were 376 reported deaths, and in 2008 there were 616, a slight reduction from the peak year for fatalities in 2006, when there were 833 deaths. In Florida, the report says there were 361 deaths related to ATVs from 1982 to 2006. There were an additional 86 deaths from 2007 to 2009 totaling 447, making Florida the state sixth in line with the highest number of fatalities behind California, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, and Kentucky.
What is not shocking but is heartbreaking is that 26 percent of the 10,281 total ATV fatalities occurred in children younger than age 16, and 11 percent, about 1,140 deaths, occurred to those younger than 12 years of age. A parents group called Concerned Families for ATV Safety recommends following guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, who say all children should be kept off ATVs if they are under the age of 16.
The Florida personal injury lawyers at Farah & Farah say losing a child is not worth the risk of having an ATV, which are dangerous even if you are an adult. If you have been injured in an ATV accident in Florida as a result of a defective machine or dangerous road conditions, you may be eligible for compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
