Yamaha Rhino Rollovers Continue to Kill Many Innocent Riders
According to a report filed by The Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 440 wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits are pending against Yamaha. They further report that Yamaha has settled many other cases. Most of the Yamaha Rhino rollover stem from rollovers in which drivers or passengers were flung through the open door space to the ground and smashed by an 11,000 pound vehicle.
On March 31, 2009. under pressure from The Consumer Products Safety Commission, Yamaha announced a “free repair program” to improve the Rhino’s handling and stability - seemingly a recall in everything but name. Reports revealed that Yamaha began investigating the use of leg protection on the Rhino by early 2006 but did not offer the half doors until August 2007 and a retrofit offer covered 2004 to 2007 Rhinos. Doors are now standard on the 2008 model. In deposition testimony, senior Yamaha engineers stated that they had considered using doors in the first place - then gave a surprising explanation for deciding not to. Doors would create such a feeling of safety, they said, that riders might not wear helmets or seat belts. In a deposition in May 2008, Takanori Suzuki, formerly a project leader for the Rhino, stated even now the only reason to include doors is that “occupants are intentionally sticking their legs out in situations involving aggressive driving and abrupt maneuvers”.
I have been blogging about the dangers of the Yamaha Rhino for many years. As an experienced product liability and rollover lawyer, I believe that the Yamaha Rhino is like many other motor vehicles with manufacturing safety defects in that it is unsafe at any speed. Product liability defect allegations include design defects, failure to warn, negligence and breech of implied warranty and we believe that these dangers are so blatant that many injured riders, as well as those killed, would be entitled to both compensatory and punitive damages. Large numbers of children and adults are being injured or killed by this dangerous vehicle.
If you currently own or operate a Yamaha Rhino, you must have the safety repairs made. The free safety repairs are made in an effort to the stem a potential catastrophic injury or death. Owners of Rhino 450, 660 and 700 models are eligible for the safety equipment modification. This experienced product liability lawyer would advise Rhino drivers not to ride their vehicles until safety repairs are made and quite frankly, to avoid this defectively designed vehicle with inherent safety defects unless you have a burning desire or necessity to ride it. If you choose to ride your Rhino, make sure you are always properly belted, always wear a helmet, follow all product warnings, never remove the half doors, never allow a child under 16 to drive and never allow a child to be a passenger if he or she is unable to put both feet on the floorboard.
If you or a loved one had been involved in a Yamaha Rhino rollover accident and has sustained a catastrophic injury or death, please feel free to contact the experienced Pennsylvania product liability and Rhino rollover lawyers at Reiff & Bily for a free no obligation consultation at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.
