If you enjoy the thrill of speed and spending time outdoors, you may have recently bought a side-by-side recreational vehicle. Getting together with other side-by-side owners and driving along trails can be a fun way to spend the day, and, while this activity offers its share of thrills, it's generally safe as long as you keep your vehicle under control. It's possible, however, to be injured while you're behind the wheel—including for reasons that you believe aren't related to anything negligent that you've done. In certain situations, you may need to consider a personal injury suit against the side-by-side manufacturer if you believe that it was responsible for your injury.
Spontaneous Fire
It's a very serious matter when you're riding along on your side-by-side and it catches fire. There are several reasons that such an incident could occur, and many are a result of a problem with the vehicle. A fire that starts quickly and spreads throughout the vehicle has the potential to leave you seriously injured and facing a lot of medical bills for your immediate care and long-term recovery. A personal injury firm (such as Caldwell Kennedy & Porter) will advocate taking legal action against the side-by-side manufacturer to seek damages for your burns.
Part Failure
It's possible for any part on the side-by-side to fail because of faulty manufacturing, and this can result in a serious injury for you and anyone who is traveling as your passenger. For example, if part of the frame around one of the tires were to snap while you were driving, you could easily lose control of the side-by-side and crash. While your attorney and his or her investigators will need to prove that the part failure wasn't the result of you doing something negligent, this can be a good reason for an injury suit.
Seat Belt Issues
When you're riding your side-by-side, you count on your seat belt to hold you in place securely. Unfortunately, these vehicles can sometimes suffer from seat belt problems that could jeopardize your safety. One issue is something coming apart on the seat belt during a crash, resulting in an injury. Even if the crash were your fault, you may want to take legal action against the side-by-side manufacturer because the seat belt didn't do its job to properly protect you. Another potential problem is the seat belt buckle not releasing. For example, if you were to crash into a body of water and need to get out quickly, a faulty seat belt might remain intact despite you trying to release it.
The world is a crazy place, and you never know when you will be faced with an uphill legal battle. I didn't used to feel like I was at a high risk for being sued, but after dealing with various business concerns, I could tell that I needed to procure an attorney. I was faced with a few problems such as managing my employees and dealing with a pending lawsuit, and I didn't know what to do or how to go about managing various issues. Fortunately, my lawyer understood what we needed to do to work things out, and we managed things appropriately. On this website, find out how to identify your rights and take care of business.