ATV Accident Injuries - Paralysis

There is a high risk of injury to the spine during an ATV accident. A significant number of these accidents involve injuries to the head and neck, including impacts to the spine that can cause trauma to the spinal cord. Any type of spinal injury can potentially lead to paralysis, on top of the risks of burns from fires and explosions.

Rider inexperience and not using protective headgear and other clothing increases the risk of an accident. The issue is exacerbated by the fact ATV’s are small, relatively heavy, and travel fast. There are no mechanisms to restrain the passenger, such as seatbelts. A person can, therefore, be thrown from the vehicle during any impact.

Manufacturer defects can also lead to explosions that can, in turn, cause paralysis. In the past, there have been ATV models that leaked fuel leading to fires and blasts, had defective engine air filters, and were more prone to rollovers. A broken axle can cause an abrupt disturbance that affects that drivability of the vehicle, leading to an accident.

Risk of Paralysis from Cervical Spine Fractures

Damage anywhere along the spine can lead to paralysis, but the risk is highest when there’s an injury to the neck. There are seven bones in the cervical spine. Here, sudden blows to the head or twists of the neck can fracture the spine. These injuries are common among athletes and even ATV riders.

It can be hard to diagnose a neck injury on the scene. An individual may or may not have severe pain. Any pain associated with a cervical spine injury may radiate from the neck to the shoulders and arms. General swelling, bruising, and tenderness can indicate a problem. A person might have limited feeling in their extremities or their whole body; muscle weakness or paralysis is also a possibility and indicates there may be spinal cord involvement.

Generally, the higher up the fracture, the more movement, and feeling that can be affected because the injury will be closer to the brain. If both arms and legs lose movement, one is said to have quadriplegia.

Types of Spinal Cord Damage

A spinal cord injury (SCI) may be categorized as complete or incomplete.

A complete SCI causes a complete loss of motor and sensory function below where the injury occurred. It’s rare for the spinal cord to be completely cut; an injury often restricts blood flow or involves a substantial bruise or contusion.

Some function may persist below the site of an injury in an incomplete SCI. For example, a person may have more function in one arm or leg than the other. Such injuries include spinal concussions, in which the disruption of function to the spinal cord may be temporary. A contusion on the cord can lead to numbness, burning in the extremities, and even tingling or electric-shock-like feelings.

According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, all-terrain vehicle explosion accidents represent the third most common cause of SCIs, behind diving and bicycling. It’s also important not to ignore the burn risk, as ATV fires are often reported. In fact, two women from Arizona riding all-terrain vehicles died in Moab, Utah after they caught fire, so paralysis is just one risk of driving.