The next generation of rollover-prone vehicles is grabbing headlines in much the same way as the beginnings of the SUV rollovers. This time, its ATVs manufactured by Yamaha under the brand name Rhino that are developing a reputation for maiming or killing people as they flip over with ease. As can be expected, action from the manufacturers is either too little or too flimsy to be of any effect.

Texan resident Ryan Rogers is suing the company for injuries sustained when his ATV rolled over on the passenger side. Rogers is the latest in a line of injured drivers and passengers, and victims’ families filing lawsuits, suing Yamaha for the defective design of its ATV that has shown a marked propensity for rolling over even at low speeds on flats surface.

The faults lie with the design of the ATV itself, with its top-heavy frame and narrow tires that make the risk of a rollover while making a turn highly possible. There is also no protection for the passengers legs in the event of a rollover accident, and in many cases, victims have had their legs crushed with the massive weight of the ATV bearing down on them. These design defects ensure that when a rollover accident does occur, which is more and more often these days, the chances is of injuries are massive. There’s little chance you would escape with negligible injuries if a person was driving and an ATV suddenly decides to flip over on top of them.

Yamaha seems to have taken a note out of Ford’s book when it comes to defending the safety of its ATVs. In September 2006, the company sent a letter to Rhino ATV owners that seemed to imply that blame for any rollover accidents involving their ATVs should be laid at the door of the drivers themselves. The company warned drivers to keep their hands and legs inside the vehicle at all times while driving, and announced the affixing of warning labels. Obviously, this failed to help. Yamaha failed to realize that a person in an ATV has a split second to react before the vehicle rolls over, and it’s next to impossible to keep your legs inside your ATV when it’s tipping over.

In August 2007, after new reports of fatal rollover accidents involving the Rhino, Yamaha announced that new vehicles would be fitted with doors to prevent passengers from falling out of the vehicle during a tip over.

Yamaha’s biggest defense is that its vehicles are safe when all road safety rules are followed. Wear a seatbelt, drive slowly and all should be fine, the company insists. However, ATV accidents have been reported even when drivers have worn seatbelts and driven at low speeds. There have even been reports of accidents when the ATV was being driven on a flat surface. As expected, the company has no explanation for these accidents.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of ATV and motorcycle accidents. 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 victim of a motorcycle accident in Garden City has been identified as the deputy of an Ohio Sheriff.

The accident that occurred on Monday at 11.30 pm involved two motorcycles, one being driven by Danny Snow of Cincinnati, Ohio. At the intersection of Atlantic and Avenue 17 Business in Highway City, South Carolina, another motorcycle being driven by 26-year-old Jonathan Sklar of Butler, PA crashed into Snow’s motorcycle. Apparently, Sklar was turning, and failed give the right of way to incoming traffic. Danny Snow was thrown off his motorcycle and onto the ground. He sustained severe head injuries.

As investigations unfolded, it was revealed that Danny Snow is an Ohio Sheriff’s Deputy. Sklar has told police that he and a group of friends were in town for Bike Week, and they were all headed home on Monday when the accident occurred. According to blood alcohol tests conducted on Sklar, he was found to have been under the influence of alcohol.

Another victim who was injured in the motorcycle accident has been taken to the University of South Carolina in Charleston for treatment.

The South Carolina police have charged Sklar in the motorcycle accident with one count of felony driving under the influence with great bodily injury. His bond was posted at $35,000, and he was released after he posted the bail.

Motorcycles and alcohol are an exceedingly dangerous combination. A person under the influence has trouble making snap judgments and quick reflexes, traits that are so necessary when you’re on the road. For a motorcyclist to be driving under the influence is extremely foolish, and results in mostly tragic consequences.

Because they are so exposed to the damage of traumatic injury or head injuries from contact with the ground, motorcyclists themselves are the ones who suffer the most from an accident. Fatalities are common, and for those who survive, severe bodily injuries are the norm.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury attorney. Contact a lawyer at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.

There’s been a slow shift in the demographics of California’s motorcycle riders. No more is the average motorcyclist a young daredevil zipping up and down the freeway. These days, motorcyclists are likely to be much older. In fact in 2003, the average age for motorcycle owners rose from 27 to 41 – a quantum leap that has California traffic safety experts worried as the number of accidents too rise dramatically.

According to a report by Sign on San Diego, hospitals across California are noticing an increase in the number of baby boomers being admitted for motorcycle accident related injuries.

This trend of older men developing an affinity for bikes is not so hard to gauge, and it’s not mid-life crises either. Most of these baby boomers have been able to see their kids through college, and are finally free from family responsibilities. They celebrate this new-found freedom by getting adventurous and what could be more adventurous than buying a powerful Yamaha? What they don’t realize is that the bikes have left them far behind as far as power and strength go. These are not the bikes of their youth and they aren’t the drivers they used to be. The result? Last year, nearly 23 percent of motorcycle accident fatalities were between the ages of 40 and 49, 18 per cent were between 50 and 59 years of age and 7 per cent were more than 59 years of age.

Nationwide statistics echo this trend. In 2006, the percentage of motorcyclists above the age of 45 injured in accidents was 24 percent.

It’s not just the lean mean machines and the not so lean and mean riders that are responsible for this increase in injuries and fatalities. Physique has a lot to do with it. Generally, you can expect a 25-year-old injured in an accident to recover faster and with lesser physical damage than a 60-year-old in the same accident. Body girth and physical fitness have a role to play too.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, contact the California motorcycle accident lawyers at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation

According to a report presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America, there has been a substantial increase in the number of kids suffering ATV related injuries. 
 
ATVs or All Terrain Vehicles are motorized vehicles that are meant for off highway use. They can weigh up to to 600 pounds and have low pressure tires.  The American Academy of Pediatrics warns against their use by children under the age of 16, but monitoring accidents and related injuries that occur in children is difficult because most of these accidents occur on private property or off the highway.
 
In 2005 alone more than 40,000 children were rushed to emergency rooms across the country as the result of being involved in an ATV related accident.  The number of deaths in the same year stood at 120. This marked a dramatic increase over a 10-year period. 
 
Injuries sustained cover the gamut from spinal injuries including spinal fractures and spinal cord injuries, head injuries including skull fractures and brain injuries, and lung injuries.  Over 70 per cent of the children who were involved in ATV related accidents reported injuries to the kidneys, spleens and liver. It’s not difficult to see where all this extensive damage comes from.  Most ATV accidents involve crashes, rollovers or ejections. Consider the fact that a typical small sized ATV will weigh up to 600 pounds and it’s easy to understand the potential for damage when children are allowed to drive these.
 
Even toddlers haven’t been spared from ATV related injuries. At least 2 two year olds were rushed to hopital over the past year, one of them suffering severe disability, when they fell off an ATV.  One fails to understand why there are ATVs that are meant for kids when the American Academy of Pedatrics has made it clear they are dangerous for children under 16.  Even if these are manufactured, it shouldn’t be difficult to introduce a device that ensures that children below a certain weight are not allowed to get on these dangerous vehicles. A sensor that detects when a 2-year-old is trying to start the ATV and then shuts itself off to avoid a potential disaster could help prevent more such disasters in the future.
 
Meanwhile, the list of children injured by ATV related accidents, some of them with permanent and lasting damage, is growing longer by the day. These injuries that can be prevented through some foresight by the manufacturers involved. 
 
If your child has been injured in an ATV accident, call the experienced California accident lawyers at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.