liability and "no fault" in the dunes

John@Outfront

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Was talking to a lawyer about something and we switch to talking about the dunes and insurance

he mentioned how in California there is really a "no fault" in the dunes.  he compared it to the courts looking at the dunes like a football game....we all go out to have a great time but there is inherent dangers even with your life, if you dont want to take the risks then dont play football.  he was talking about spotters (or lack of) etc and that the only thing that makes it "no fault" is if you intentionally attempt to hurt someone.  almost seemed like if you took a jump even with no spotter and hit someone its still no fault 

any input or experiences?

he said he could care less about his comp or collision but is insured for liability only

 
I've heard this no fault stuff for a while now... but it does not mean that someone injured by you cannot bring a civil suit against you. Definitely a smart idea to carry liability and even uninsured motorist coverage (since most out there do not have insurance) 

 
Was talking to a lawyer about something and we switch to talking about the dunes and insurance

he mentioned how in California there is really a "no fault" in the dunes.  he compared it to the courts looking at the dunes like a football game....we all go out to have a great time but there is inherent dangers even with your life, if you dont want to take the risks then dont play football.  he was talking about spotters (or lack of) etc and that the only thing that makes it "no fault" is if you intentionally attempt to hurt someone.  almost seemed like if you took a jump even with no spotter and hit someone its still no fault 

any input or experiences?

he said he could care less about his comp or collision but is insured for liability only
Did he have some documentation to back that up? Some VC or previous case law?

 
Did he have some documentation to back that up? Some VC or previous case law?
he is active on several cases in the dunes that have happened and he represents them. didnt ask any more as then he may turn the clock on if you know what i mean

 
he is active on several cases in the dunes that have happened and he represents them. didnt ask any more as then he may turn the clock on if you know what i mean
Now I'm confused. If CA is a no fault state (which it isn't) then there shouldn't be a criminal case, since if there is no law against it, you can't be charged with it. That's logical. 

However, every time someone is injured or killed in an off road incident, the CHP comes out and investigates the details, takes BAC measurements, which indicates to me that someone can be held accountable in an off road collision and the facts of the collision, including the BAC of the parties involved may very well come into it.

This was copied off of a law firm website, link below. They don't mention no fault, but do discuss assignment of liability.

Off roading accidents frequently result in severe injuries and even death. Many off road vehicles, such as ATVs, ROVs, and dirt bikes, provide very little protection for drivers or passengers. When an injury occurs as a result of an off roading accident, liability may be difficult to assess and the injuries can be rather severe.

In an off roading accident involving no other vehicles, frequently the driver of the vehicle will be considered to be at fault. If there were passengers who were injured, they would potentially have a claim for damages against the driver. If the vehicle malfunctioned or crashed as a result of a defect, the manufacturer could potentially be held liable. Additionally, if the land or vehicle were in a condition that made them dangerous to off road on or in, then the respective owners may be held liable for negligence.

Passenger Injury and Assumption of Risk

In some situations, a passenger may be presumed to have assumed the risk of injury when they decided to ride as a passenger in an off road vehicle. For example, if a passenger knew that the driver of the off road vehicle was drunk or even inexperienced, it can be argued that the passenger assumed the risk of injury by agreeing to participate in a highly dangerous activity.

Simply going off roading likely does not mean a person is assuming the risk of injury. However, if circumstances, such as riding with a drunk driver, make the activity clearly more dangerous, then the legal theory of assumption of risk may apply. The legal theory may totally or partially defeat an injury claim depending on the circumstances.

Insurance Coverage

Even though an accident happened off road, frequently if the vehicle does have a valid auto insurance policy, then there may be insurance coverage for any injuries sustained. Unfortunately many off-road vehicle owners do not purchase liability insurance for vehicles like ATVs or dirt bikes if there is no plan to drive them on regular roads. The CPSC actually recommends not using off road vehicles on roads due to multiple safety concerns.

If there is no auto insurance, a homeowner's policy may be able to provide coverage for injuries. Additionally, where a minor is liable for the accident, a parent's home owner's policy may be able to cover the injuries.

https://www.findlaw.com/legalblogs/personal-injury/off-roading-accident-liability/

 
Just because there aren't legal consequences...

Doesn't mean there aren't consequences.  Stupid hurts.
If there aren't legal consequences, then why is an attorney working on several off road cases? Obviously he smells money and thinks he can assign liability and get a payout. 

 
If there aren't legal consequences, then why is an attorney working on several off road cases? Obviously he smells money and thinks he can assign liability and get a payout. 
Sure, but that's for an event, no randos smashing into each other on Sand Highway.

 
to pay the legal fees.  even if you have no fault the Lawyers will need to defend your side
If it was truly no fault, then they wouldn't be able to bring suit. No fault means that both sides pay for their own damages. In a truly no fault state, like HI, each party's own insurance pays for their own damages. There is no need to sue anyone because your own insurance pays for your damages, regardless of who hit who.

 
he said he could care less about his comp or collision but is insured for liability only
Comp and collision cover your vehicle damage and most times with very limited medical coverage.

Liability covers you in case someone you run over knows an attorney that wish to push the issue.

 
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Should add, most attorneys will bluster big but be content with the policy limits. They know the amount of time to push a suit farther will be a huge time involve matter and will simply grab the insurance money and run. Liability insurance usually keeps them from coming after your personal assist. 

 
CA's regular insurance rules have followed "no fault" for many years. Ever been rear ended only to find our you have a point on your record? It's happened to me TWICE.

 
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