Utah Personal Injury Law Firm Blog

After a spring of consistent rainstorms, the summer sun is finally here and Utah is seeing an increase in outdoor recreation. Utah is the home of many outdoor motorcycle and ATV recreation areas, from the Salt Flats to the red rocks of Moab. However, with the summer fun comes the risk of serious injury. An article from TheSpectrum.com offers some safety tips for off-road enthusiasts. Of course, helmets are strongly recommended. Children under the age of 18 must wear a helmet according to Utah State law. While adults are not required to wear one, we strongly recommend the use of helmets to avoid serious Utah traumatic brain injury or fatalities. Recreational vehicles can be difficult to handle, so avoid riding too fast and taking sharp turns, as this can quickly lead to rollovers.

In the event of an accident, it is important to properly assess the situation. Some injuries may not require hospitalization and can be treated from home. However, if you are unsure of the magnitude of the injury, it is best to call 911. Symptoms to look for when you are assessing an injury include pains in the chest, abdomen or head; incessant bleeding; loss of consciousness or confusion, and difficulties breathing. If any of these symptoms occur, it is best to call an ambulance.

Many Utah off-road motorcycle and ATV accidents occur in rural locations, far from the hospital. Beginning in 2010, Southern Utah will have access to a Life Flight helicopter to help transport and treat severely injured victims. Life Flight helicopters make transportation to hospitals much quicker and are equipped with the latest medical technology, offering life-saving services to Utah accident victims.

Now that summer is here, the Utah injury lawyers at the Christensen Law Firm encourage you to be safe and to have fun!

According to CNN News, a passenger plane slid off the runway and caught fire at Denver International Airport December 20, 2008. Thankfully, all 115 passengers escaped the plane without any fatalities. Several dozen people were taken to the hospital, however, and one person is reported to be in serious condition.

According to firefighters at the scene, the Boeining 737 slid about 200 yards off the runway. The plane’s wheels had been sheared off and its entire right side was in flames. Miraculously, none of the injured passengers were burned, but some suffered bone fractures.

Investigation is now underway as to the cause of this airplane accident. The cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have been sent to Washington for review. While weather may have played a factor in the accident, investigators will be interviewing passengers and crew members as they evaluate what exactly happened.

A KSL News article reported that an 11-year-old Ephraim girl was killed Monday in an ATV accident. The girl was riding as a passenger on a Rhino ATV that flipped onto its side, pinning the girl underneath. She was taken to Sanpete Valley Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

This is a tragic accident and I give my deepest condolences to the girl’s family.

Since this young girl was a passenger, she did not contribute to the accident, but many will ask "how could this happen?" Hopefully, this questions will be answered by the police investigation. However, sometimes they remain open to speculation even after the police investigation is complete. The family might find it beneficial to contact an experienced personal injury attorney to further investigate the accident independent of the authorities and to answer any questions they might have. If the accident was the result of driver error, then the family would have a claim against the driver’s estate, which is probably covered by insurance. Assuming the driver was insured, the family would then have a tough choice – do they go after the insurance money that the insurance company is legally obligated to pay or do they let the insurance company keep it? If the accident was the result of a defect in the ATV then the manufacturer can be held responsible.