Yamaha Rhino ATV Injuries and Deaths
Rollover accidents have long plagued users of small, powerful all terrain vehicles -- known as ATVs -- and the trend has continued with injuries tied to Yamaha's Rhino models, which are the subject of a federal safety investigation after the recent deaths of two young girls.
If you or someone you know has been hurt by the rollover of a Yamaha Rhino ATV, contact the West Palm Beach, Florida personal injury law firm of Gordon & Doner for a no-cost case evaluation. The firm's skilled lawyers are experienced product liability experts and have won numerous personal injury cases on behalf of their clients.
The Rhino was first introduced in 2003 as a competitor in the segment of lightweight, off-road "utility terrain vehicles." Unlike ATVs in which the rider straddles the vehicle, the Rhino is what the market calls a side-by-side, a type of cart featuring twin bucket seats and a flat rear bed. It was originally marketed without doors, leaving no protection for arms and legs that could be crushed when the vehicle rolled over.
In 2006, the company advised owners to keep their arms and legs inside the vehicle and sent them warning stickers. The following year, Yamaha announced a free retrofit program to install doors and a passenger handhold. In 2008, all models were redesigned to include side doors, and that same year the company also recalled about 7,800 models to correct a front wheel brake problem.
Still, the vehicle continued to be involved in accidents, causing severe head, spine and limb injuries. Victims contend the Rhino is inherently unstable due to its narrow stance, powerful engine and high center of gravity. More than 200 lawsuits have been filed against the manufacturer, and the Rhino has come under scrutiny by the Consumer Product Safety Administration.
The CPSC's review comes in the wake of a new safety standard for motorcycle-style ATVs that will prohibit the sale of those types of four wheelers unless the manufacturers have won approval from the agency for a plan to "promote ATV safety, including rider training, dissemination of safety information, age recommendations, other policies governing marketing and sale of the ATVs, the monitoring of such sales, and other safety related measures," effective April 13, 2009.
The agency's standard also formally banned the sale of three-wheel ATVs due to rollover accidents resulting in injuries and deaths, including children. Manufacturers voluntarily pulled three-wheel models from the market in 1988 under CPSC pressure. The Rhino and other cart-style UTVs remain unregulated, however, with devastating consequences for rollover victims.
Despite their popularity, users of ATVs die and are harmed regularly, with the CPSC reporting 10 suspected ATV-related deaths from Nov. 18 through Dec. 1, 2008. The Wall Street Journal estimated UTVs are no safer than ATVs.
The CPSC's ATV Safety Web site reports an estimated 882 deaths and 146,600 emergency room visits in 2006 due to ATV accidents. Children under the age of 16 accounted for 107 deaths in 2007 and 40,000 injuries requiring emergency room treatment, all from four wheel ATV accidents.
In Florida, an estimated 391 deaths have been tied to ATV accidents, including 89 children under age 16 through 2004. Victims in Florida and elsewhere can count on the professionals at Gordon & Doner for help when confronted by the costs of a life-changing injury or the loss of a loved one due to an off-road vehicle rollover accident.
The West Palm Beach firm of Gordon & Doner has more than 20 years of highly successful experience in personal injury law. The firm's eight attorneys have the experience needed to provide quality legal services to members of its South Florida communities. If you or a loved one has suffered an injury from a Rhino ATV, contact our attorneys at 1-800-659-1159 for a free, no-obligation and confidential consultation so that we may assess your case.
