Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog

A recent all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident left a 23- and a 24-year-old in the hospital. Both men involved in the ATV accident were from Massachusetts. The accident happened when their ATV struck an embankment on Greenwood Brook Road in Maine and flipped over, according to the Morning Sentinel.

Unfortunately, young and inexperienced riders are more likely to be involved in an ATV accident in Massachusetts and elsewhere through the summer and fall months.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand how serious these types of accidents can be. In this particular accident, one of the Massachusetts riders was trapped underneath the ATV as it flipped. The rider was transported by Northstar EMS to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington. We're thankful that both riders were wearing their helmets at the time of the accident otherwise injuries could surely have been fatal.

According to AVTSafety.gov, there were more than 615 reported deaths resulting from ATV accidents in 2008. Officials believe that number to be much higher as they predict that not all accidents were reported. Officials believe that number to be much closer to 800 than 600. There were also more than 135,000 injuries reported as a result of accidents involving ATVs.

"As nurses who initiate immediate care to patients admitted for ATV injuries, the sorrow and pain of parents and family members of ATV victims is heart wrenching. If stronger regulation of ATV safety would save the life of one young child, it would be worth it all" said Linda Altizer, RN, from the National Organization of Orthopedic Nurse's Board of Directors.

Follow these safety tips to help prevent injuries resulting from an ATV accident:

-Enroll in a safety course. Many hands-on courses are offered and can teach drivers about a number of situations a rider can expect to encounter. Drivers who complete a safety course are less likely to be involved in an accident.

-Make sure you're wearing your gear. Riders are urged to wear a helmet when riding. The more gear your wear, including gloves, a jacket, goggles, proper pants and above-the-ankle shoes can significantly reduce your risk of being injured.

-Don't ride with passengers. More than one rider on an ATV greatly increases your risk of being involved in an accident. Most ATVs are made to only carry one person anyway. Drivers must be able to shift their weight in any direction at any time, passengers make this much more difficult.

-Don't drive on paved roads. Because of the design of ATV, most of them are difficult to handle on paved roadways. A great number of fatalities occur in this area. Collisions with cars oftentimes turn deadly.

-Don't allow children to drive. Children represent a third of all ATV-related deaths. Most of these fatalities occur when a child is driving an adult ATV. Riders under the age of 16 are twice as likely to be injured as those in any other age group on an ATV.

Continue reading "Two Young Massachusetts Men Injured in ATV Accident" »

New rules aimed at preventing children from being injured in Massachusetts ATV accidents are drawing praise from parents and safety advocates, the Boston Globe reported.

As we reported in June on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, lawmakers passed the new rules 141-12. The governor is soon expected to sign it into law. Among other things, it will increase the minimum age for riding an ATV to 14, from 10. It is named for Sean Kearney, an 8-year-old Waltham boy who died after a 500 pound ATV flipped over and pinned him face down in the sand.

Katie Kearney said "this bill will be one of the toughest in the nation."

In 2004, and 2005, nearly 1,000 children were injured in Massachusetts ATV accidents. During the past 20 years, more than 2,500 children under the age of 16 have died in ATV accidents nationwide, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The new rules will also restrict the size of an ATV riders ages 14 to 16 are permitted to ride and will require riders in that age range to be supervised by someone over the age of 18. Riders under the age of 18 will also be required to take vehicle safety and responsibility courses before riding all recreational vehicles, including motorcycles, dirt bikes and snowmobiles.

Ken Anderson, president of the Massachusetts ATV Association, said the pending new law is unfair, considering "that the majority of injuries occurred in circumstances that were already in violation of existing statute, regulation, and common-sense best practices."

Continue reading "Massachusetts ATV accidents, child injuries, targeted by new safety law" »