ATV accident causes boy to lose eyesight, case settles for $6.01 million

Chuck Boyk — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:04:00 GMT

Our Toledo, Ohio ATV accident attorneys want to remind riders to be careful while riding on ATVs, and also want to discourage parents from allowing their children under 16 from riding them at all.

A case involving an ATV accident that caused blindness to a little boy was recently settled in Pennsylvania for $6.01 million.

A nine-year-old boy was riding his grandfather’s ATV unsupervised, when a hunting dog escaped from his kennel and startled the boy. He then lost control of the ATV, flipped it, and the handlebar punctured the boy’s eye. The ATV accident caused permanent blindness.

In order to prevent an ATV accident, riders should not use the vehicles on a road – they are built to be off-road. Always travel at a safe speed, and never ride with a passenger. One of the most important factors in preventing a wrongful death from an ATV accident is using a helmet.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

Oregon mom helps us learn about ATV accidents

Chuck Boyk — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:13:22 GMT

Sue Rabe knows firsthand the devastation that ATV accidents can have on a family. Our attorneys had help continuing their blog series on ATV safety from this mother, also the co-founder of Concerned Families for ATV Safety.

The Rabe family lost their son, Kyle, to an ATV accident when he was only 10 years old. He had been riding for over a year and a half without any accidents. His parents write on the website that he was a very cautious, skilled rider wearing boots, gloves, several layers of clothing and a full face, approved helmet.

But all of those factors did not prevent an ATV accident.

“It’s devastating,” said Sue Rabe of Turner, Oregon. “Kyle was three months shy of his 11^th birthday. Until you have children, you won’t understand that they become your number one. They are everything to you.”

Sue Rabe fought hard to get Oregon Senate Bill 49, “Kyle’s Law,” passed, which would prohibit anyone under 12-years-old from operating an ATV. It would also put stronger restrictions on ATV riders between 12 and 15 years of age, and make helmet use mandatory.

While the bill did not pass, Sue believes that all of the lobbying and attention that Kyle’s Law received helped save lives.

“Last year not one child in the state of Oregon died in an ATV accident,” Sue said. “The year before, eight kids died. Apparently someone is listening.”

Stay tuned for our on-going series on ATV accidents as we report the information that Concerned Families for ATV Safety and Sue Rabe has provided us with.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chuck Boyk

Findlay Personal Injury Lawyer - ATV accidents

ATV accident causes boy to lose eyesight, case settles for $6.01 million

Oregon mom helps us learn about ATV accidents