Rhino ATV Rollovers Lawyers

Mobile, Alabama

The Yamaha Rhino has been a popular all-terrain vehicle since being introduced in 2003. Passengers sit side-by-side as they would in a car and there is an area in the rear to store cargo. They can also be extremely dangerous if they rollover.

Severe injuries to the ankle, foot and leg, as well as broken bones and lacerations have been reported. There are also instances where limbs needed to be amputated or where death occurred. Children have mostly been the victims when the Rhino ATV rolls over.

Rollovers occur most often on the Rhino 450 and Rhino 660 as they make sharp turns, even on level ground. This is due to the ATV’s high center of gravity, the narrow wheel base, and the fact that they are top heavy. The Rhino models also were sold without doors prior to 2008, though these could be added as an accessory. These accessorized doors, and the added doors to the post-2008 models are half doors, which may unlatch during a rollover. They have done little to keep injuries from happening. The owner’s manual stresses that operators and passengers should wear seatbelts while riding in a Rhino ATV.

Prior to installing half doors, Yamaha sent a letter to customers who owned Rhino ATVs stating that there was a risk of a rollover and what the driver should do if the ATV began to tip, as well as warning that those inside a tipping ATV should keep their arms and legs inside the vehicle. However, there was no recall to install doors or any mention of doors as something that could be added in the letter.

Yamaha continues to believe that the Rhino ATV is one of the safest ATVs on the market, but critics strongly disagree and point to the number of severe, life-altering injuries and deaths that have occurred since 2003.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Rhino ATV rollover in the Mobile, Alabama area, please contact the experienced personal injury law firm of Long & Waite.

 

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