Yamaha Rhino rollover warning
November 27th, 2008 Mike Evans
A Yamaha Rhino rollover can change a life forever.
It’s Thanksgiving day, and a lot of you will have Friday off, giving many people a long weekend. If you’re one of those people who enjoys riding ATVs or UTVs, we want to issue a special caution about riding Yamaha Rhinos. As we’ve said before, the Rhino has a high center-of-gravity and a narrow wheelbase, which makes it especially prone to rollover accidents, even on level ground. Yamaha was first-to-market with a side-by-side UTV, and acted as if they were safe until August 23, 2007, when Yamaha finally issued a press release, saying: “some operators have engaged in aggressive driving (such as sliding, skidding, fishtailing, or doing donuts) or made abrupt maneuvers (such as turning the steering wheel too far or too fast) that have resulted in side rollovers — even on flat, open areas. Unfortunately, some occupants have been seriously injured during such rollovers when they put their arms or legs outside the vehicle, resulting in crushing or other injuries.” A month later (September 2007), Yamaha issued a new guide for owners of 2004-2007 Yamaha Rhinos which said: “Doing things with a Rhino that some people do for thrills in other vehicles (such as sideways sliding, skidding, fishtailing, or donuts) have led to side rollovers. These rollovers can result in crushed limbs and other serious injuries or death to drivers or passengers.” One wonders why it took Yamaha over 4 years to admit that Rhinos roll over easily and can crush hands, legs and cause death. We here at the ATV Attorney Alliance wonder why Yamaha hasn’t recalled the Rhino to remedy the problems that lead to rollovers.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has launched an investigation into the Yamaha Rhino. This follows 30 deaths, including the deaths of two young girls last month. The Yamaha Rhino is also the subject of at least 200 lawsuits involving Rhino rollovers. The Journal reports that Yamaha has settled some lawsuits but recently beefed up its defense and says it may start to fight rather than settle. The Journal reports that there are currently no legal regulations governing side-by-side vehicles, such as the Yamaha Rhino. One possible outcome of the CPSC investigation is that safety regulations may be handed down by the CPSC.
The CPSC is dependent upon incident reports from consumers and manufacturers to investigate the safety of a product. If you or your family member have been injured or died in a Yamaha rollover, please fill out the CPSC’s Consumer Product Incident Report. For information about the safe use of ATVs, visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s ATVSafety.gov. Although the CPSC’s rules on ATVs do not cover side-by-side vehicles such as the Yamaha Rhino, the CPSC’s recommendation are a good place to start looking for advice on safe use of an off-the-road vehicle.
We at the ATV Attorney Alliance want to suggest that you avoid riding or allowing your children to ride a Yamaha Rhino. As we have done before, we call on Yamaha to recall the Rhino to remedy it’s dangerous stability problems.
You can watch a video explaining the dangers of the Yamaha Rhino at www.ATVAttorneyAlliance.com. You can read more about the dangers, and Yamaha’s delay in dealing with those dangers, at the ATV Alliance’s Yamaha Rhino page. learn more about the dangers and the history of the Yamaha Rhino at the American Attorney Alliance’s Yamaha Rhino page. If you have been injured lost a family member in a Yamaha rollover, you can fill out a form to obtain a free, no-obligation review of your potential Yamaha Rhino lawsuit, or you can call and speak with at attorney free-of-charge at 1-800-509-5357.
The ATV Attorney Alliance was created to provide top-quality legal representation to people who have been injured or lost family members in Yamaha Rhino rollover accidents, or in accidents involving other negligently designed or manufactured ATVs. The ATV Attorney Alliance includes lawyers licensed to practice law in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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