When most people think of accidents, they think of slips and falls or auto accidents. But accidents in Florida can take a lot of different forms, and with so many great off road trails one thing that is far too common is the rate of ATV accidents.
All Terrain Vehicle accidents are no joke, and can cause a variety of injuries and leave those who are hurt struggling to recover financially as well as physically. As such, getting help after an ATV is a must for those involved.
ATV Accidents ATV accidents are one of the highest-risk types of accidents that can occur to a person. The reason? The lack of protection. In an auto accident, you are shielded by airbags, metal, plastic, and a machine designed to absorb much of the shock of the impact and keep you safe. In an ATV accident, however, you’re largely unprotected.
Bigger machines like ‘side by sides’ have rollover bars to help keep you safer, but even this is minimal protection at best. And 4 wheelers or dirt bikes have nothing between you and the ground, trees, or other vehicles. As such, when you are involved in an ATV accident, your body takes the brunt of the damage.
This can lead to major physical injury including:
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injury
- Lacerations
- Spinal injuries
- Paralysis
- Death
The road to recovery is often long and difficult with an ATV accident, and healing physically can seem almost impossible for those who are hurt.
The Financial Burden But physical injury is only the first part of the problem after an ATV accident. Those hurt also end up with serious financial burdens due to their injuries.
These include things like:
- Medical bills
- Lost hours at work
- Mounting bills due to those lost hours
- Long term care costs
Making things worse is the fact that your financial burden is often left to you. Few people carry insurance on ATVs unless they’re financed, and even then it may not be the case. This often makes those involved feel as though they can’t make a full recovery financially since they’re left with mounting debt that they need to deal with. And on top of the physical injuries, the financial burden can help trigger depression and make those hurt feel as though they have nowhere to turn and no options after being injured.
Can You Seek Compensation?
There may be options available to you, however. If you are hurt due to the reckless or negligent actions of someone else, you could seek compensation for your injuries. There are several different things that could suggest recklessness or negligence. Examples include:
- Driving the ATV too fast or in an unsafe manner
- Operating ATVs while intoxicated
- Poor maintenance of the ATV if it’s rented
- If in certain areas, poor maintenance of the trail you’re riding on
- And more
Essentially, you need to show that someone acted in a way that any reasonable person would consider to be reckless or negligent and that those actions led to your injuries. If this is the case, you could get compensation for your injuries through a personal injury lawsuit.
An Uphill Battle It’s not an easy process to prove fault in an ATV accident case. Often, those involved must all be considered and fault must be proven according to Florida law. Making matters worse in some situations is the fact that insurance companies or legal teams for the other side will try to push you around or offer you less than you’re really owed in a settlement.
Those initial settlement offers are one of the most common tactics that are used – by offering you a small settlement amount the insurance companies or other side manage to get you to negate your rights for what you’re really owed. As such, you need to keep this in mind and trust in professionals who can help.
Getting Help A Florida personal injury lawyer is your best friend when trying to get compensation after a personal injury involving an ATV. They can represent your interests, take the fight to the other side, and get you the restitution that you’re really owed.
Your lawyer will offer many benefits including:
- Better chance of getting what you’re owed
- Peace of mind during the case
- Will get you respect from the other side
- Can help you identify a fair settlement offer
- Will take the work off your shoulders
- Lets you focus on physically healing
Starting with identifying whether or not you even have the right to seek restitution and going all the way to the courtroom if needed, your attorney will get you what you’re owed and help you through the process of getting restitution.
If you’ve been hurt in an accident, it’s in your best interests to contact an attorney as soon as you can. ATV accidents can be life-altering, and having an ally will be important. Contact our team to get the help you deserve.
