California Injury Blog
An Upland man who died in a San Bernardino all-terrain vehicle accident on November 29, 2008 has been identified as 28-year-old Victor V. Ortiz. According to this news Web site, Ortiz was on an off-road quad vehicle (or ATV) when it overturned on Soggy Dry Lake, about three miles north of Highway 247 in Lucerne Valley. Ortiz, who was not wearing a helmet, was ejected from the ATV. Ortiz was transported to an Apple Valley hospital where he was pronounced dead.
I offer my heartfelt condolences to the family of young Victor Ortiz who was killed in this 11/29/08 ATV rollover crash.
We often see a spurt in ATV accidents during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, especially in California where the weather is conducive for outdoor activities year-round. California is among the states that have a high number of ATV accident related fatalities. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s ATV safety Web site, there were a total of 312 ATV accident related deaths reported in California between 2003 and 2006. Nationwide, 555 ATV accident deaths were reported in 2006 and about 146,000 people were treated in the country’s emergency rooms for ATV accident related injuries.
The number of ATV accidents and injuries has also increased significantly between 2000 and 2006. There were 92,000 injuries relating to ATV accidents in 2000 compared to 146,000 in 2006, which amounts to a 59 percent increase in just six years.
ATV accidents occur for a variety of reasons. These vehicles travel at high speeds in rough terrain, which can cause it to become unstable. Recently, we have also seen several product safety recalls involving different brands of defective all terrain vehicles. The family of Victor Ortiz would be well advised to consult an experienced California ATV accident attorney who can help determine what caused this fatal accident. It’s worth looking into whether this accident was caused because of a product or design defect in the ATV. Ortiz’s family should also preserve the ATV in its current condition so that it can be carefully examined for evidence of product defects or malfunction.
Please take every possible safety precaution before you get on an ATV. An ATV is not a toy. It is a vehicle just like a car or a motorcycle. If you have not had safety training or do not have the necessary protective gear, please do not ride one. Also please do not allow your children or teenagers to ride one of these vehicles unsupervised. For more information about ATV safety, please visit the Concerned Families for ATV Safety’s Web site.