Federal Safety Officials Investigate Yamaha Vehicle
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is investigating the design of “recreational off-highway vehicles” after receiving reports of numerous fatal accidents involving these new, unregulated products. The Yamaha Rhino brand is apparently the main focus of this investigation involving at least 30 deaths. Our source for this blog is a Bloomberg News report.
Used mostly by off-road aficionados and hunters, these vehicle models are larger than all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Most of the models have two side-by-side seats, a steering wheel and a protective roll cage. Features such as the roll cage place these vehicles outside the current rules for traditional ATVs. Models similar to the Rhino include Polaris’ Razor, Honda Motor Company’s Big Red, Kawasaki’s Mule and the Arctic Cat Prowler. Yamaha, of course, maintains that its Rhino is extremely safe and reliable, yet 30 fatal accidents occurred on their off-highway vehicles.
It is imperative that the CPSC officials take immediate steps to begin regulating these seemingly dangerous vehicles. I hope their investigation looks into inherent product defects and possible design defects, which may have led to the deaths of the people who attempted to ride them. These vehicles obviously look a lot like the ATV and ride like the ATV, but are grouped into a different category because of their larger size and some additional features.
If children or teenagers are riding this new category of vehicles, then that causes deep concerns. The larger a vehicle, the harder it is for a younger person to control it. How stable are these vehicles? Are they prone to rollovers? Are there any safety mechanisms in place to ensure that rollover accidents do not cause catastrophic injuries or deaths to the vehicle’s occupants? If your child cannot drive a car, he or she should not be on an ATV or on one of these unregulated vehicles.
The Yamaha Rhino has not been without problems. Scott Smith, a 42-year-old California man, recently filed an Orange County product liability suit against Yamaha Motor Corporation. In his lawsuit he alleges that the Rhino side-by-side all-terrain vehicle is dangerously unstable and defective. Smith was injured in an August 20, 2006 ATV accident when the Rhino he was a passenger in, tipped over at a low rate of speed. Smith’s right leg was crushed and permanently impaired during this accident.
If you or someone you know has suffered serious injuries as a result if of a Yamaha Rhino or any other ATV accident, please call us to find out how you can pursue and protect your legal rights.
