ATV Accident Lawyer

Personal Injury Lawyers / ATV Accident Lawyer

ATV rides through Pennsylvania’s trails and farmland are meant to be enjoyable, but accidents can happen in an instant. When they do, the injuries are often severe due to the open nature of these vehicles. If you or someone you care about has been hurt in an ATV accident, reaching out to an ATV accident lawyer at Munley Law can make all the difference in your recovery.

All-terrain vehicles serve many purposes – from recreation and hunting to farm work and emergency access. Unfortunately, their design makes riders vulnerable to significant injuries when accidents occur. Children face particular risks when riding ATVs unsuitable for their age or experience level.

At Munley Law, we’ve been helping injury victims for over 65 years, including many families dealing with ATV accidents. We understand your medical expenses, lost work time, and uncertainty. You only have a short period to file a personal injury lawsuit, so acting promptly is essential. Munley Law offers free consultations and only gets paid when we win your case. Let us handle the legal complexities while you focus on getting better. Call today.

Will My Insurance Cover My ATV Accident?

After an ATV accident, one of your first concerns is whether your insurance will likely cover your medical bills and other expenses. Unfortunately, most people discover that their regular insurance policies don’t provide the expected ATV accident coverage.

Your car insurance policy excludes ATV accidents, even though ATVs are motor vehicles. Auto insurance companies exclude off-road vehicles from standard coverage, leaving you without protection when needed.

Your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance might provide limited ATV coverage, but typically only for accidents on your property. If your ATV accident happened on trails, public land, or someone else’s property, your homeowner’s policy won’t help with medical expenses or property damage.

ATV Insurance: What Most Riders Don’t Have

Specialized ATV insurance policies do exist and can cover medical bills, property damage, and liability claims. However, many ATV riders don’t purchase this coverage because they assume their existing insurance will protect them. This coverage gap becomes costly after an accident.

Even when insurance applies, policy limits often fall short of covering serious ATV accident injuries. Hospital bills, surgery, and rehabilitation expenses can quickly exceed insurance limits, leaving you responsible for thousands in medical debt.

When the At-Fault Party’s Insurance Should Pay

If another person caused your ATV accident, their insurance should cover your damages. However, they may have minimal coverage, or their insurance company may deny your claim or dispute who was at fault.

Because it can be challenging to determine whether insurance will pay for your ATV crash on your own, it’s essential to explore all options for compensation. An experienced ATV accident lawyer at Munley Law can identify all potential sources of compensation when insurance falls short.

Who Is Responsible for My ATV Accident?

When your insurance won’t cover your ATV accident injuries, identifying other responsible parties becomes essential for your recovery. In Pennsylvania, several parties may be liable for your damages depending on how your accident occurred.

• Other Drivers and Vehicle Operators: If another ATV rider or driver caused your accident, they and their insurance company may be liable for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.
• Property Owners: Property owners can be held responsible if dangerous conditions on their land contributed to your accident. Even if you were on private property without permission, you may still have legal options depending on the circumstances.
• ATV Rental Companies: If you were riding a rental ATV, the rental company could be liable if they failed to properly maintain the vehicle, provided inadequate safety instructions, or rented you an inappropriate vehicle for your experience level.
• Manufacturers and Parts Companies: When mechanical failures or defective parts cause ATV accidents, manufacturers can be held responsible through product liability claims. This includes defects in brakes, steering, throttle systems, or other critical components.

An experienced ATV accident attorney can identify all potentially liable parties to maximize your compensation when insurance coverage falls short.

Possible Damages You Can Collect in ATV Accidents

ATV accident lawyers can help you recover various possible damages in ATV accident cases. Your damages after an ATV accident can be catastrophic, depending on what your off-road vehicle crashes with (a large car or truck, for instance) or how they crash (flipped over versus rear-ended).

• Medical Expenses: You can recover compensation for all medical costs related to your ATV accident, including emergency room visits, hospital stays, surgeries, prescription medications, physical therapy, and ongoing treatment. This also covers future medical expenses if you need continued care or additional procedures.
• Lost Income and Earning Capacity: If your injuries prevented you from working, you can recover lost wages from the time of your accident. More importantly, if your injuries affect your ability to earn money in the future, whether temporarily or permanently, you can seek compensation for that lost earning capacity.
• Pain and Suffering: You can recover compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and the overall impact your injuries have had on your daily activities and relationships.
• Property Damage: Compensation for your damaged or destroyed ATV, safety equipment, and any other personal property damaged in the accident.
• Out-of-Pocket Expenses: This includes transportation costs to medical appointments, home modifications needed due to your injuries, and other accident-related expenses that your insurance didn’t cover.

Every ATV accident is unique, and the compensation you can recover depends on the severity of your injuries, the strength of evidence showing someone else was at fault, and the insurance coverage or assets of the responsible parties. An experienced ATV accident attorney can evaluate your specific situation to determine what compensation you may be entitled to receive.

Common ATV Accidents and the Serious Injuries They Cause

Understanding how ATV accidents occur helps explain why the injuries are often severe. Unlike cars, ATVs lack protective barriers, airbags, and other safety features, leaving riders vulnerable when accidents happen.

ATVs can easily flip or roll over due to their high center of gravity and narrow wheelbase. When this happens, riders often suffer spinal cord injuries that can cause paralysis, traumatic brain injuries from impact with the ground or the ATV itself, and crush injuries when the vehicle lands on top of them. These accidents occur when taking turns too quickly, riding on steep terrain, or carrying too much weight.

When ATVs collide with trees, rocks, or other vehicles at high speeds, the impact often results in multiple broken bones, internal bleeding, punctured lungs, and severe head trauma. The lack of seat belts means riders are usually thrown from the vehicle, leading to additional injuries from secondary impacts.

New ATV riders are 13 times more likely to have accidents in their first month of riding. Loss of control frequently leads to crashes that cause broken arms and legs as riders try to brace for impact, facial injuries and dental trauma, and severe road rash and lacerations from sliding across rough terrain.

ATVs aren’t designed for pavement and can become unstable at highway speeds. When ATVs collide with cars or trucks, or when riders lose control on asphalt, the injuries are often fatal or life-altering, including massive head trauma, multiple organ damage, and severe burns from sliding on pavement.

When ATVs designed for one rider carry passengers, the added weight and shifting balance can cause loss of control. Passengers often suffer injuries from being thrown from the vehicle, crushed when the ATV rolls over, or caught between the rider and the ground during crashes.

Riders have little time to react when brakes fail, steering mechanisms break, or throttles stick. These sudden mechanical failures often result in high-impact crashes, causing chest and abdominal injuries from handlebars, severe burns from contact with hot engine parts, and traumatic injuries from hitting obstacles at full speed.

Why Choose Munley Law for Your ATV Accident Case

ATV accident cases involve complex liability issues, insurance complications, and serious injuries that require experienced legal representation. Not all personal injury lawyers know how to handle these unique cases effectively.

Our ATV accident attorneys have been helping injury victims since 1959, giving us deep knowledge of state laws, local courts, and how insurance companies handle ATV accident claims. Our decades of experience mean we know how to build strong cases and avoid the pitfalls that can damage your claim.

Unlike simple car accidents, ATV cases often involve multiple liable parties, product liability issues, property owner responsibilities, and insurance coverage gaps. We know how to investigate these accidents thoroughly and identify every potential source of compensation.

Our track record speaks for itself. We’ve recovered substantial settlements and verdicts for families with serious injuries, helping them get the necessary medical care and secure their financial future.

You shouldn’t have to worry about paying legal fees while you’re recovering from serious injuries. We handle ATV accident cases contingently – you pay nothing unless we successfully recover your compensation.

Insurance companies often try to minimize payouts or deny ATV accident claims entirely. We know their tactics and have the resources to take on large insurance companies and corporations when necessary to get you fair compensation.

Work with an Experienced ATV Accident Lawyer

Talk to a personal injury lawyer at Munley Law today if you or a loved one has sustained injuries in an ATV accident. Our team of passionate lawyers has been helping injury victims throughout Pennsylvania recover compensation for over 65 years. We have the expertise, skills, and drive to ensure you receive maximum compensation. And we don’t get paid unless we win your case. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss the specifics of your case.