All-terrain vehicles (ATV) are a type of recreational vehicle with three or four wheels. These vehicles, as the name implies, can be operated on nearly any type of surface, such as dirt or grass. If you were injured in an ATV accident, you may be able to file a personal injury claim for compensation with the help of a Las Vegas ATV accident lawyer at our firm.
Shook & Stone’s team of Las Vegas personal injury lawyers can evaluate your case to determine if you are able to file a claim on the grounds of negligence or product liability.
ATV Safety Rules in Nevada
In the state of Nevada, ATV operators must receive a certificate of operation to drive an ATV on highways. Also, riders operating ATVs on highways must wear a helmet and/or eye protection. If the vehicle is specifically designated as an off-highway vehicle, and most ATVs are, drivers are not permitted to operate them on public streets or highways. According to the state of Nevada, “Any motorized vehicle which does not have the normal safety equipment such as lights and mirrors or is not built to federal vehicle standards is an off-highway vehicle and is restricted to off-highway use only.”
Some states have minimum age requirements for ATV operation, but the state of Nevada does not. As of July 2012, all off-highway vehicles (OHVs) must be registered. This registration must be displayed in the form of a decal on the ATV. Visit the Nevada Commission on Off-Highway Vehicles to learn more about registering OHVs. You can also visit the Nevada Revised Statutes § 490.090 for OHV rules of operation.
It is important for all riders to abide by the Nevada ATV rules of operation for numerous reasons. The primary reason is to prevent avoidable accidents. Also, if a rider is injured while operating an ATV and is not abiding by all of the necessary safety regulations, then they may be considered partially or totally liable for the accident. A seasoned Las Vegas ATV accident attorney could explain state laws in further detail during an initial consultation.
Product Liability vs. Negligence: Two Paths to Recovery
Most people picture an ATV or UTV crash as a driver-against-driver case, where one rider’s choices caused another rider’s injuries. Many crashes do come down to negligence, and a negligence claim asks whether the at-fault rider met the standard of care a reasonable Nevada operator would have followed.
But not every crash is about driver behavior. When an ATV or UTV is built or designed in a way that creates an unreasonable risk of harm, the responsibility shifts from the driver to the manufacturer. That is product liability, and Nevada follows what lawyers call strict product liability. To recover under that theory, you do not have to prove the manufacturer was sloppy or careless. You only have to show three things:
- The product was defective when it left the manufacturer.
- The defect caused your injury.
- You were using the product in a reasonable way.
Strict liability covers manufacturers, distributors, and retailers across the entire supply chain. That gives Nevada victims more than one avenue of recovery, and it keeps the responsibility where it belongs, on the company that designed, built, and sold the defective vehicle.
The two paths can also run side by side. A rollover that injured a passenger because the rider was speeding and because the vehicle lacked adequate occupant protection can support both a negligence claim against the driver and a product liability claim against the manufacturer. The right firm pursues both where the facts justify it.
For the broader picture of how Nevada handles defective product cases, see our pillar resource at the Las Vegas Defective Product Lawyer page. For the broader off-road context, our Off-Road Vehicle Defects in Nevada explainer covers other major manufacturers and the most common defect categories.
ATV Accidents & Recalls
While many ATV accidents are caused by negligent operators (of OHVs or passenger vehicles), they can also be caused by defects in the manufacturing or design of the vehicle. A knowledgeable ATV accident lawyer in Las Vegas could review your case to determine if negligent manufacturing played a role in your accident.
For this reason, ATV accidents can be an issue of product liability. For example, Honda recently issued a recall of their FourTrax ATVs due to a crash hazard.
With this particular make and model of ATV, a weld on the front right and left suspension arms can separate, causing a loss of control of the vehicle. For a complete list of recent ATV recalls and consumer information, visit ATVSafety.gov.
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Polaris UTV Accidents in Las Vegas
Polaris is one of the most common UTV brands on Nevada trails, ranches, and worksites. Its RZR, Ranger, and ProXD models share the rough terrain with traditional ATVs, but they come with their own well-documented safety record. In December 2024 alone, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced two separate Polaris recalls covering more than 23,000 vehicles. One covered a defective seatbelt anchor weld on Model Year 2024 Ranger, ProXD, and Bobcat utility vehicles. The other covered a battery terminal cover fire hazard on Model Year 2024 and 2025 RZR XP 1000 and XP 4 1000 ROVs.
That sits on top of an already long pattern. In 2018, Polaris paid a $27.25 million civil penalty to the CPSC, one of the largest in the agency’s history, for failing to promptly report defects in its RZR 900 and RZR 1000 vehicles. By the time Polaris reported, federal regulators had records of 150 fires, 11 burn injuries, and the death of a 15-year-old passenger.
If your accident involved a Polaris RZR, Ranger, ProXD, or Bobcat in Nevada, the manufacturer’s history is part of your story. Our Las Vegas Polaris UTV accident lawyer page covers the full defect record, the legal options under Nevada law, and what a Polaris case looks like start to finish. For the active recalls themselves, our Polaris Ranger seatbelt recall guide and our RZR fire hazard recall explainer walk through the specific vehicles, defects, and what to do if you were hurt.
Contact a Las Vegas ATV Accident Attorney Today
Were you injured in an accident while riding an all-terrain vehicle? Contact a Nevada accident lawyer at Shook & Stone. Our law firm is passionate about representing victims of recreational accidents such as this. Many people who live in or near Las Vegas, as well as people traveling from other states, visit popular ATV dunes and trails such as Amargosa Dunes, Boulder Hills, and Chief Mountain Area.
When outdoor recreation leads to serious accidents, it is essential that you first seek medical attention and then speak with a Las Vegas ATV accident lawyer from our firm. We can evaluate your case and determine if you are entitled to a claim.
Call us today for a free evaluation of your case!
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