Yamaha Rhino Utility Terrain Vehicle Rollovers – Unsafe at any Speed?

It was learned last week that Federal safety officials are investigating the Yamaha Rhino, which has been linked to 30 deaths. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) decision to investigate the Yamaha Rhino was based on accident and death reports involving the vehicle as well as the high number of product liability suits that have been filed by people who claim they were injured using this product. Unlike another class of off-roaders all terrain vehicles (ATV’s), are subject to safety standards. Unfortunately the Consumer Product Safety Commission has not set safety standards for vehicles like the Rhino, which it classifies as a utility terrain vehicle, or UTV.
Although off-road vehicles are involved in hundreds of accidents every year, critics say the Yamaha Rhino is even more likely to be involved in one particular type of mishap – rollover accidents. Critics allege that the Yamaha Rhino is top heavy and it has tires that are extremely narrow. These design defects make it for more likely that the Yamaha Rhino will tip and rollover while going through a turn even when the vehicle is traveling at a slow speed and is on a flat surface.
Victims of ATV and UTV rollover accidents usually experience severe lower extremity injuries such as broken or crushed legs, ankles or feet. In some cases, victims have been permanently disabled and have had limbs amputated following such accidents.
Hopefully products liability lawsuits that are being filed against Yamaha will lead to them to acknowledge their legal responsibility to injured riders and lead to measures which make the Rhino a safe vehicle. To date, Yamaha has made no design changes to improve the stability or handling of the Yamaha Rhino in spite of the availability of safe and inexpensive alternative designs and feasible modifications.
If you or anyone that you know have been seriously injured on a Yamaha Rhino you should consult one of the product liability lawyers at Finch McCranie, LLP.