How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 604 severe incidents involving off-road passenger vehicles over the last decade. Fractures are the most common injury type, representing 57% of all cases, which often require extensive medical intervention and long recovery periods.
These incidents frequently result in brain injuries. The severity of these injuries often stems from the lack of protective structures on these vehicles, leading to life-altering consequences for you.
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Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Most injuries occur during nonroadway noncollision incidents, which account for 52% of all cases. These accidents often involve rollovers on uneven terrain, sudden ejections when your vehicle hits a washout, or collisions with hidden obstacles like fence posts and vegetation that are not visible to you.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nonroadway noncollision incident | 309 |
| 2 | Nonroadway collision with object other than vehicle | 117 |
| 3 | Nonroadway collision with other vehicle(s) | 45 |
| 4 | Pedestrian struck by vehicle in nonroadway area | 34 |
| 5 | Struck by rolling powered vehicle or machinery | 23 |
| 6 | Nonroadway incident involving motorized land vehicle— unspecified | 13 |
| 7 | Caught, entangled in running powered equipment— normal operation | 12 |
| 8 | Other fall to lower level | 8 |
Where injuries happen most
Arts and entertainment leads with 14% of all incidents, followed by construction and public administration. These industries rely heavily on off-road vehicles for site navigation and equipment transport, yet the rugged environments you operate in significantly increase the risk of vehicle instability and injury.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports include training gaps, unexpected terrain hazards, and unauthorized passengers triggering vehicle movement. You are frequently thrown from vehicles during rollovers or struck after being ejected from the cabin. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | NM | Public Administration | "On 7/31/2025, an employee was training to ride an ATV when it went into a draw and she went over the front of the ATV, landing on the ground. The employee sustained a fractured arm." | |
| 2025 | TX | Utilities | "An employee was utilizing a utility task vehicle (UTV) to patrol a 138 kV transmission line in a right-of-way. The UTV drove into a washout hole that was approximately 6 feet deep and obstructed by vegetation. The employee sustained a dislocated shoulder, a fractured left humerus, back pain, and a strained ankle. He was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | FL | Agriculture | "An employee was riding in a utility task vehicle (UTV) with several children (patrons). One of the children pressed the gas pedal of the UTV and the vehicle struck a fence post. The employee was thrown from the UTV and sustained five broken ribs, a partial pneumothorax to the right lung, an abrasion to the right arm, and contusions to the body. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | MA | Professional Services | "The employee was working in the back of a micro truck and maneuvering around the materials in the back of the truck. The employee's foot caught on the edge of the truck, causing him to lose balance and fall from the back of the truck to the ground approximately 3.5 to 4 feet below. The employee landed on his feet on the loading dock but rolled his ankle. The employee was hospitalized with a compound fracture of the ankle." | |
| 2025 | OR | Other Services | "An employee was driving an all-terrain vehicle when it rolled over. The employee was ejected and hit the ground, suffering a fracture to their C6 vertebra." | |
| 2025 | TX | Construction | "On July 3, 2025, at approximately 9:45 PM, an employee was operating a utility task vehicle (UTV) on a project road when the UTV struck the rear of a reversing bulldozer. The employee struck their head and face on the UTV dashboard and collapsed onto a UTV passenger. The employee was hospitalized with a forehead laceration, a nasal fracture, and central cord syndrome. The other employee on the UTV sustained a bruised left forearm and was not hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | PA | Manufacturing | "An employee was driving a utility cart into a garage area. The vehicle struck the bottom of the garage door as it was opening and the employee sustained fractured ribs." | |
| 2025 | FL | Agriculture | "An employee was preparing to go to another ranch location to work cattle. This would include getting the cow dogs from the dog pen which are located behind a mobile home adjacent to the barn. The employee was driving his utility task vehicle (UTV) through the mobile home yard to the dog pens when the UTV hit a hole in the yard while it was turning. This caused the UTV to overturn and land on the employee's left leg, resulting in a fracture to his left fibula that required surgery." | |
| 2025 | TX | Retail Trade | "An employee was standing on the back of a golf cart holding trash cans. When the cart turned, he fell off the back and his head struck the pavement. The employee sustained contusions to the head and face and a broken right forearm." | |
| 2025 | ME | Agriculture | "An employee was driving a side-by-side all-terrain vehicle (ATV) on a gravel road when a wheel caught the edge of the road. The ATV rolled over onto its side, resulting in a compound fracture to their forearm, a fracture to their wrist, and a fractured heel." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.