Yamaha Rhino ATV Recalled, Sales Suspended
Yamaha Motor Corporation has announced a recall of its Rhino side-by-side All Terrain Vehicles (ATV), and has agreed to suspend sales of the vehicles that have been linked to several ATV rollover accidents.
The Rhino has been linked to hundreds of injuries and at least 46 deaths across the country in rollover accidents. The Consumer Product Safety Commission and Yamaha Motor Corp. have announced a free repair program for Rhino models manufactured since fall of 2003. These include more than 120,000 of Rhino 450, 660 and 700 models. The CPSC is urging owners of the Rhino ATV to discontinue use immediately. Owners have been asked to contact their nearest Yamaha dealer for free repairs that will be conducted on the vehicle to make it safer. All sales of Rhino ATVs have been temporarily suspended until the vehicles can be repaired.
More than two-thirds of Rhino ATV accidents involved cases where the vehicle rolled over on the occupant. These ATV rollover accidents have resulted in serious injuries that include crushing injuries. The repairs of the vehicle will include installing a spacer on the rear wheels and removing the anti-sway bar in the rear to decrease the risk of a rollover. The repairs are also expected to allow for better handling and control of the vehicle. Yamaha will also include additional safety features to ensure that drivers and passengers’ arms and legs are restrained inside the vehicle through the installation of passengers’ handholds and half doors. This is expected to reduce the severity of crushing injuries when passengers’ arms and legs are crushed beneath the vehicle during a rollover.
Rhino ATV accidents have received extra attention because of the fact that the vehicle has rolled over even when the driver has turned at low speeds. All Terrain Vehicles are popular with the young and with people who work on farms and ranches precisely because they are meant to be driven on rough terrain. Yamaha and other ATV companies have promoted their ATV as being suitable for use on all kinds of terrain. The Rhino, however, is prone to roll over even when it’s driven on relatively level terrain.
For years, Yamaha has received complaints about rollover accidents that have resulted in severe injuries and even fatalities. Rhino owners have suffered catastrophic injuries including those to the hands and legs. The Rhino in its current form comes with no protection for the occupants of the vehicle in the event of a rollover. This means that when the vehicle flips over, occupants in a reflex action put their legs out to prevent a tip over. They end up with severe injuries to their limbs, sometimes resulting in amputations.
Even with all these reports about Rhino ATV rollover accidents, Yamaha until now has done precious little to fix the problem and address consumer concerns. For years, experts have warned about the poor design of the Rhino that included a narrow elongated body and a too-high center of gravity that places it at an increase risk for rollover accidents. The company has now finally taking some steps to ensure that people are spared the risk that their ATV’s pose.
The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of product recalls. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.
