Personal Injury | March 15, 2022

Defective Tires on ATVs

When a tire fails on an ATV, it can result in serious accidents and injuries. If the tire was defective, discuss the situation with an injury attorney who handles ATV accident claims. 

Know Your ATV

ATV (all-terrain vehicle) generally refers to four-wheelers or “quads,” although they can also include:  

1. Dune buggies
2. Tomcars
3. Some John Deere vehicles
4. Motorized tricycles
5. Sandrails
6. Side-by-side or utility ATVs
7. PowerWheels® brand (or similar) battery-powered cars for children

  ATVs are frequently used for recreation, but they have a wide variety of work-related applications as well. For example, ATVs are used:  

1. By the US Forest Service to monitor areas where there are no roads
2. By farmers and ranchers to spread seed, haul manure, herd animals, and get around expansive properties without trails or roads
3. By the US Border Patrol to monitor the Mexico border
4. By the military for patrols and transportation where no roads exist
5. By lifeguards who need to quickly navigate in deep sand
6. By police who patrol sandy deserts or beaches, particularly for search and rescue missions
7. EMTs and paramedics who need to reach injured people located in areas where their ambulances can not navigate
8. For industrial purposes such as oil or mineral exploration and pipeline work

ATV Accident Statistics

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, over the last three decades, there have been 14,653 ATV accident deaths. Several hundred people die in ATV crashes every single year. On top of that, in a recent year, there were over 100,000 ATV accidents requiring emergency medical care. One-quarter of these ATV crash victims are under the age of 16.

ATV Tires

A magazine called “ATV Rider” reported that 9 out of 10 ATV failures were related to two main issues: tires and getting stuck. ATV tires are designed to be driven over big, sharp rocks, drenched in the sand, soaked in mud, and to deal with big impacts from things like jumps or quick elevation drops.   An example of how an ATV tire might fail is if it was installed improperly (seal missing, never balanced, under or over-inflated), if a steel radial snaps (this is a metal ring inside the tire’s tread - when they snap, most tires will blow a 6” hole in them), or if the vulnerable sidewall becomes damaged. Sometimes, ATV tire defects are simply a result of a poor design or subpar materials (manufacturing defects).

Proper Tire Maintenance

Just like you need to rotate your car’s tires at set intervals, ATV tires need extra special attention. Maintaining optimal tire pressure is one of the single most important factors in ATV safety and upkeep. Each tire has a recommended PSI set by the manufacturer. You should get in the habit of checking your ATV’s tire pressure before each run over to the dunes in eastern Washington or weekly for daily-use ATVs (farmers, lifeguards).

Proper ATV Tire Size

One of the other most crucial tire safety tips for ATVs is to simply stick with the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding tire size. Don’t get rid of “puffy” ATV tires because you prefer a low-profile look. Forget about looks and stay safe. Additionally, sometimes people will skimp on ATV tires (buying used tires with all different tread patterns, for example) because ATV upkeep is expensive. ATVs are an expensive hobby requiring costly trucks and trailers to haul them, ongoing trips to the gas pump, and gas in the hauling truck to get to the right terrain for ATV use. If you need to sit out a few weekends so you can buy safe tires, it’s worth it.  

Bonney Lake ATV Accident Attorneys Near You

If you’ve had an issue with your ATV tires being defective and causing serious injury or property damage, please contact us right away. Anderson Law is a personal injury firm that also handles product liability. Contact us right now to get a free legal consultation for your case if you are in Bonney Lake, Auburn, Puyallup, nearby, or surrounding cities.

The information contained on this website is intended for informational purposes only, and is not legal advice. Nothing in this website establishes an attorney-client relationship between us. Different facts can dramatically affect a legal opinion. You should consult an attorney for legal advice that pertains to your personal situation.