One of the most popular past times for both children and adults across the country for recreation is the All Terrain Vehicle, or more commonly known as the ATV. This is also a vehicle that is used for work related purposes by some adults. These vehicles are a gas powered engine and have models with two, three or four wheels that can be ridden in all types of ground.

The first of these gas powered vehicles was manufactured by Honda in the 1970’s and has since been used for both recreation and work, there have also been many people injured in ATV accidents. Should you or a family member be involved in an ATV accident you may be legally entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, loss of earnings, and future loss of earnings, along with medical expenses.

Three wheeled ATV’s have not been manufactured since 1998 when the United States government had safety concerns about this model due to the amount of injuries and deaths. This is because the three wheeled ATV accidents are almost double that of other models, and while they are not manufactured any longer there are still many in use.

There are some things that should be avoided when riding an ATV that can result in serious injuries or even death.

• Drinking or the use of drugs should be avoided before or when riding an ATV, even though it is a recreational vehicle it can be dangerous when mixed with alcohol or drugs.
• Speed can also be a factor that can cause a serious accident resulting in severe or fatal injuries.
• Driving on paved roads should be avoided, as these vehicles are not meant to be mixed in with traffic.
• Avoid driving the All Terrain Vehicle at night, they do not have the proper lighting to see obstacles in the dark on the type of terrain they are ridden and this can lead to serious injuries or death.

There are other safe riding tips that can help to avoid ATV accidents:

• Reading all of the literature and instructions that come with the ATV should be done and will help the rider to become familiar with the vehicle.
• Protective clothing, gloves and helmets should be worn when riding the ATV
• Inspect the All Terrain Vehicle prior to operating it each time.
• Only one person should be on the ATV at a time.
• The rider should know the terrain and any obstacles.

The inexperienced rider has a much higher chance of being injured and to avoid serious injury or even death this rider should take an All Terrain Vehicle training course to learn to ride the vehicle safely. These courses are often offered free and have proven to be effective in preventing accidents.

During 1997 there were more than 30,000 children under the age of 16 injured in ATV related accidents, these injuries can be severe and each year, there is a sizeable number of accidents. These accidents can result in traumatic brain injuries, skull fractures, spinal cord injuries, paraplegia, quadriplegia or even death.

The accidents that have occurred even without the sale of the three wheeled ATV models can still result in death like several accidents that occurred, involving children in 2003. One of these accidents was in Indiana that involved an 11 year old girl that was riding with friends and was killed. Another happened in Pennsylvania when two teenage boys hit head on and were both fatally injured. The youngest of these children that were killed while riding an All Terrain Vehicle was a 3 year old boy from Kansas.

The All Terrain Vehicle accident attorneys of Ehline Law are there to help when you or a loved one has been involved in a San Francisco ATV accident.  If you were injured in an ATV accident in Northern California, contact ATV accident lawyers at

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