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Doctors Report Increase in ATV Accident Injuries in Children

There has been an alarming increase in the number of serious and catastrophic injuries from ATV-related accidents involving children. Not only are children at the greater risk of being injured in ATV accidents, the nature of these injuries have increased in severity and intensity, with spinal cord injuries and other serious injuries occurring frequently.

Injury lawyers in California have long been aware of the special risks that come with use of all-terrain vehicles by children. The use of these vehicles has caused several children to become seriously injured or killed. Three wheeler ATVs have been banned because of the higher risk of rollover accidents and crushing injuries. However, researchers have recently found that four wheelers are not much safer either.

A study released this week showed a staggering increase in the number of ATV injuries among children. In the study, researchers looked at injury records from a hospital in California. All these injuries were caused from the use of all-terrain vehicles. The researchers found that in 2006, 4,483 children had to be hospitalized because of injuries they suffered in all-terrain vehicle accidents. That was an increase of more than double since 1997. Between 1997 and 2006, the number of children who suffered a spinal cord injury in ATV accidents jumped from just 3.8% in 1997, to 7.4% in 2006.

Children comprise just 15% of all ATV riders. However, they are at a much higher risk of injuries than riders in other age groups. Children account for between 27% and 40% of all ATV accident-related injuries every year. Annually, there are approximately 150,000 ATV injuries reported in the country. Children also account for about 20% of all deaths associated with all-terrain vehicles.

Accident lawyers in California have tried to bring attention to the high risks to children from these vehicles. The Consumer Product Safety Commission was quick to respond after a number of consecutive years of dramatic increases in injuries in children. In 1988, ATV manufacturers signed an agreement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, agreeing not to market the extremely popular three wheeler ATVs. Three wheeler ATVs can be much more dangerous because they are extremely unstable, and are highly susceptible to a rollover. A child trapped underneath an ATV that flips over, is at a serious risk for crushing injuries to thier hands and legs. The agreement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission also included a decision to invest more than $100 million in safer designs for these vehicles.

The four-wheeler ATVs that have become very popular since then, however they are not as safe as parents and manufacturers might have hoped. The researchers in the study found that these also placed children at higher risk of accidents. The risk is much higher in multi-rider all-terrain vehicles, than in single rider vehicles. In fact, the risk was up to 10 times greater when a person was involved in a multi-rider all-terrain vehicle than in a single rider ATV. Much more alarming is the fact that children are now suffering serious injuries like spinal cord injuries that could dramatically impact the rest of their lives.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of personal injury. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

The Reeves Law Group is not representing any party in the matters discussed in this posting.

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