A 17-year-old passenger has died in a Utility Terrain Vehicle crash in Laurel County Kentucky on Sunday, October 27, 2019. According to Laurel County officials, the accident happened of U.S. Highway near London. At an arraignment Monday morning, the judge stated that the man admitted to drinking beer, wine, mixed drinks and whisky prior to the accident.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges and awaits further court hearings. It’s not stated how the crash happened and if there were any other vehicles involved. Police are still investigating the incident.
DUI and Off-Road Vehicle Crashes
Kentucky ranks third in the number of deaths each year from ATV/UTV crashes with an average of 30 to 35 a year. Kentucky also rates a 2 out of 5 stars by Mothers Against Drunk Driving for their efforts in combating drunk driving. One of the categories is how tough laws are against drunk driving, and Kentucky ranks in the middle of the pack with the toughness of its laws.
Kentucky does have a law against driving an ATV or UTV on any road, even trials, dirt and gravel roads if they are open to the public or public access.
ATV DUI Accident Liability
When someone commits a crime and injures another person, sometimes their insurance company will not cover damages if the vehicle was used in the crime. The greatest example is when someone steals a car and crashes, and even if they have insurance, or the owner of the stolen car has insurance, the victim won’t be able to collect compensation because it was a stolen car.
However, if the crime is “unintentional” like a DUI, then the insurance company will have to pay for the damages under their policy.
If the DUI happened on an ATV, then the at-fault driver’s auto insurance probably won’t cover the damages, but not because of the DUI, but because it’s an ATV. These vehicles aren’t considered a covered vehicle under a typical car insurance policy. ATV riders can pay for a specific ATV/UTV insurance policy that will cover the vehicle and any liability.
If not, then the victim will have to hope that the driver has a homeowner’s policy that will cover their damages. Without this, many ATV/UTV accident victims will have to pay for their own damages.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
If you’ve been injured in an ATV/UTV accident, don’t take the insurance company’s word for it that there is no coverage. Talk to an attorney who knows the law and who knows where to look for compensation for one’s injuries.
You need someone just as experienced to help you level the field. Talk to someone you can trust to be on your side and get you what is yours under the law.
The attorneys at Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, have that knowledge and a combined 100 years’ experience in helping clients get the results they deserve. To discuss your case, call Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC today, at (800) 937-8443 or click here to contact them online.