The crash occurred on July 5th, 2024, at around 8:20 PM. A 14-year-old girl was driving a Kawasaki UTV with 4 passengers. The vehicle was on County Road 1390 just half a mile south of Cairo. The UTV was facing east and began reversing westbound before hitting a fence with the rear of the vehicle. One of the passengers, a 7-year-old girl, sustained moderate injuries. 2 other passengers, a 5-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl sustained moderate injuries. All three were transported to Moberly Regional medical Center by a private vehicle. A 10-year-old boy was also in the vehicle, but he declined medical treatment. The Kawasaki UTV sustained moderate damage and was removed by a private party. None of the passengers or the driver of the UTV were wearing safety devices at the time of the crash.
Offroad vehicles like UTVs pose unique risks. They are often operated by minors and people are not required to equip them with liability insurance. One potential avenue for recovery is a product liability claim against the manufacturer. The AW Smith Law Firm has successfully handled several product liability claims against the manufacturers of these vehicles. These past cases have equipped our team with specialized information that is key to winning a future case. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident like this one, don’t hesitate to reach out to the AW Smith Law Firm.