Snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are used for work, play and sometimes just basic survival in New Hampshire and Vermont. However, snowmobile and ATV accidents can result in catastrophic injuries and many are fatal.
To learn more about your rights and potential compensation for your snowmobile or ATV accident injuries, please call the Cole Law Office at 800-909-LAWS (5297) or contact us online today to schedule your free initial consultation. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your personal injury case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.
ATV/OHRV and Snowmobile Accident Injuries
New Hampshire refers to ATVs as off-highway recreational vehicles (OHRVs). Common ATV/OHRV and snowmobile accident injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury
- Back injury
- Chest injury, often with traumatic asphyxia
- Crush injuries
- Amputations
- Soft tissue injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
- Drowning and near-drowning
- Internal injuries
- Frostbite, hypothermia, and other exposure injuries
Causes of Snowmobile and ATV Accidents
Snowmobile and ATV accidents happen for a wide variety of reasons, including:
- Rider inexperience
- Lack of training or improper training
- Intoxication
- Riding too fast for too fast for the conditions
- Riding with a passenger on a vehicle not meant to carry passengers
- Reckless operation
- Hazardous weather conditions
- Dangerous terrain
- Defective snowmobile or ATV
- Defective equipment
- Negligence on the part of drivers of other vehicles on roadways
Liability in ATV and Snowmobile Accidents
When you have been hurt in an accident, you need to know who can be held liable for your injuries, so you can recover the compensation you need to pay for your medical bills, lost income, and more. In ATV and snowmobile accidents, it will depend on the nature of your accident and the cause.
In rider vs. rider collisions, collisions involving motor vehicles, and in accidents where you were injured as a passenger, rider or driver negligence is often involved and the at-fault rider or driver can be held responsible for your injuries or the death of a loved one.
Defective ATV and snowmobile accidents are not uncommon. Either type of vehicle can be defective due to a faulty part or inappropriate marketing. ATVs and snowmobiles are often marketed to children who are too young to operate them safely or for uses that the machines cannot perform safely. They are also sold or rented to inexperienced riders with inadequate warnings, instructions or training.
In cases of defects causing malfunction, inappropriate marketing and lack of instructions or warnings, the manufacturer, seller, or rental company may be held liable for your injuries.