ATVs and side-by-sides are everywhere in the four-state area — on farms, trails, and rural roads. They’re also unforgiving: no crumple zone, no airbags, and a high center of gravity that makes rollovers the signature catastrophic event. When a crash wasn’t your fault, the path to compensation depends on identifying exactly what — and who — caused it.
Who Can Be Liable
Another rider or driver operating negligently, including on public roads where cars and ATVs mix badly. A landowner who invited riders onto property with hidden dangers — unmarked cables, washouts, fencing wire at neck height. A manufacturer, when a design or mechanical defect caused the rollover or the injury (product liability claims survive even in single-vehicle wrecks). And when a minor was riding with an adult’s permission, questions of negligent entrustment arise. These cases reward carefulness: the machine itself is evidence and must be preserved, not repaired or sold.
Insurance Wrinkles to Know
Auto policies often exclude ATVs; coverage may instead come from homeowner’s, farm, or specialty policies — and finding every applicable policy is half the case. Passengers injured on someone else’s machine almost always have a claim, and are almost always reluctant to bring one against a friend or relative. Remember: the claim is against an insurance policy someone already paid for.
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From the blog: ATV Accident Injuries in Missouri: Who’s Liable and What You Can Recover.
The consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win. When you’re hurt, call Kurt. (417) 553-4898 — or request a free case review.