A 25-year-old Saucier, Mississippi, man says that everyone who rides All-Terrain-Vehicles or ATVs should wear helmets. That young man is speaking from experience. In 2004, he sustained a traumatic brain injury during an accident in which he flipped his ATV while racing with his father. The resulting injuries might have been prevented by simply following the legally required, and manufacturer recommended wearing of proper safety equipment. Unfortunately, that young man now is now blind, and he also has difficulty with his speech.
ATV use is on the rise throughout the country and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Division says that a large contingent of people killed while riding are young people less than 16-years-old and without their parents around. That statistic is in line with the view of the Harrison County Sherriff who says that the majority of people he finds riding ATVs illegally on the roads are juveniles. The Sherriff believes that the manner in which a driver operates one’s ATV plays a crucial role in safety and that is why he recommends that parents supervise that activity. Especially if children under 16 years old are riding them in the woods were law enforcement has less presence.
Although Mississippi allows licensed automobile drivers to operate ATVs without going through a driver’s safety course, riders 16 years old and below must pass such a course while operating an ATV in addition to the wearing of a helmet.
Whether you live in Alabama, Mississippi or elsewhere across the country, those injured in ATV accidents often incur substantial medical bills in addition to being unable to work for long periods of time. In some circumstances the accident they experienced may have resulted due to no fault of their own. People injured under those circumstances may want to seek compensation from the ATV manufacturer or others who may have some responsibility for their injuries.
Source: Sun-Herald. Biloxi-Gulfport and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, “Authorities: ATV accidents a troubling trend” Margaret Baker, Mar. 29, 2014
