The four-wheel, side by side Rhino manufactured by Yamaha Motor Corporation* has become one of the most popular Utility Terrain Vehicles ("UTVs") sold on the market in the U.S. and Canada. The Rhino seats the driver and passenger next to each other. Some have claimed that the Rhino is less dangerous than Yamaha All Terrain Vehicles ("ATVs") or quads.
The perception that the Rhino provides a safe means of enjoying off road recreation does not match the reality. In accidents nationwide, Rhino riders have been killed or seriously injured. For example, on February 24, 2008, two separate fatal accidents occurred within hours of each other at Imperial Sand Dunes recreation area in Southern California. In both cases, passengers were killed after being ejected from their Rhino, even one passenger who was belted.
If you or a loved one were injured in a Yamaha Rhino ATV accident, please complete our e-mail us or call toll-free at 888-350-3931 and ask to speak with Yamaha Rhino accident lawyer/attorney W. Craft Hughes for a free consultation. All inquiries are kept strictly confidential.
Recall Alert Issued By The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Yamaha Motor Corp. issued a recall of more than 120,000 Yahama Rhino ATVs on March 31, 2009. Please view the full text of the March 31, 2009 recall. All Rhino 450 and 660 model vehicles are being recalled for repairs intended to prevent accidents that have resulted in 46 confirmed deaths and hundreds of injuries. These Yamaha Rhinos suffer from inherent design flaws that make them unstable and susceptible to low-speed rollovers.
On March 25, 2008, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ("CPSC") issued a "Recall Alert" #08-552 for Model Year 2008 Rhino YXR450 and YXR700 Side-by-Side Vehicles.
The entire "Recall Alert" may be viewed by clicking here.
Yamaha Rhino - Common Injuries
When confronted with the mounting injuries of Rhino drivers and passengers, Yamaha has simply blamed them for their own injuries. The following statement is from Yamaha:
"While the Rhino has been a reliable and versatile vehicle, 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."
Rhino drivers and passengers have suffered serious injuries when their Rhino rolled over in some instance passengers have died. Common injuries include:
- Broken Legs, Ankles or Feet;
- Crushed Legs, Ankles or Feet;
- Broken Arm, Wrist or Hand;
- Crushed Arm, Wrist or Hand;
- Amputation.
Yamaha Rhino Lawsuits
In injury lawsuits filed against Yamaha, plaintiffs charge that the Yamaha Rhino side-by-side contains multiple design flaws rendering it dangerously unstable and unduly prone to tipping and rolling over even when driven on flat ground at low speeds. These defects include a top-heavy design resulting in a high center of gravity, and a dangerously narrow track width. Together, these design flaws make the Rhino unduly prone to tip and roll over. Learn more about the danger of Rhinos and your legal rights in our answers to Frequently Asked Questions page.
As the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission considers new standards for Yamaha Motor Corp. USA's Rhino off-road vehicle and other currently unregulated "utility terrain vehicles," plaintiffs suing over injuries they blame on the Rhino have asked the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation ("MDL") to centralize their cases. You can learn more about the plaintiffs' request for an MDL by clicking here to read Law360's Article entitled " CPSC Mulls Standards As Rhino Plaintiffs Seek MDL".
Rollover Warning
The Yamaha Rhino Recreational Utility Vehicle ("RUV") has become one of the most popular vehicles of its kind in recent years. It has also caused numerous injuries and even fatalities due to its unstable design, and tendency to rollover while turning. This Rhino's propensity for rollovers is due to its unsafe design: it is top-heavy, narrow, and has tires too small for a vehicle of its size. Although Yamaha claims this is due to user error and high-speed turning, it has repeatedly been shown that the Rhino rolls over even at low speeds on flat surfaces. The Yamaha Rhino all terrain vehicle has been linked with many rollovers due to the following properties:
- The Yamaha Rhino is narrow, and wider vehicles can be more stable;
- The Yamaha Rhino is top-heavy and therefore has a high center of gravity;
- The Yamaha Rhino has small tires, and small tires give the vehicle less of a platform for stability.
Experts have questioned the safety of the Yamaha Rhino since its release. In August 2007, Yamaha announced that it would add doors and passenger handles to vehicles manufactured after 2004, but stopped short of issuing a recall of the Rhino.
Yamaha, while denying responsibility for these rollovers, effectively admitted that there is a problem when it announced in August 2007 that they had created doors and passenger hand holds for earlier versions of the Rhino, which they would install free-of-charge. These new safeguards are designed to help prevent injuries during rollovers, but do not address the underlying issue of the rollovers themselves.
There have been many reports of serious injury and death due to rollovers caused by the Rhino's flawed design. Fatalities are most common among children, who are often thrown out of the vehicle when it rolls. While every accident involving a Rhino can pose a risk of serious injury, when a child is riding, the injuries have often been more severe. Children have been thrown from the Rhino and died after it landed on top of them.
Yamaha Rhino Design History
In the late 1980's, a new style of off-road utility vehicle entered the market place. This utility vehicle was designed to operate off-road, while at the same time contained a seating arrangement designed to allow operator and passenger to sit side-by-side inside a rollover protective structure (ROPS) vehicle, equipped with seatbelts. The vehicle also contained a cargo bed designed to increase its utility usage. In general, the wheelbase length and track width of this vehicle are greater than four-wheel ATVs. The engine capacity and vehicle design, while strong enough to carry a heavy load, limited the vehicle from traveling at speeds over 25 mph. The vehicle also utilized higher-pressure tires than standard ATVs.
In 2004, Yamaha entered into the side-by-side market with their design of this type vehicle, the Yamaha Rhino. There appears to be a design connection between the Rhino and the Yamaha Grizzly 660 ATV as several Rhino vehicle components and characteristics are similar. The stock Yamaha Rhino has been tested and found to achieve speeds over 40 mph with much higher acceleration rates than other utility vehicles, such as the Kawasaki Mule or the Kubota RTV. The 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 models of the Yamaha Rhino, with minor exceptions, are essentially the same vehicle design.
Soon after their entry into the market, reports of lateral upsets with injuries began surfacing with the Yamaha Rhino 660 and Yamaha Rhino 450 side-by-side machines. It was discovered these Rhino vehicles were rolling over to the side during low to moderate speed turn maneuvers on essentially flat level ground. In many cases, depending on which way it rolled, either the operator or passenger received a serious leg or arm injury when their limb came out of the ROPS, and was pinned between the vehicle and ground. In some instances, the victims may have attempted to brace themselves by putting their leg out as the vehicle rolled over, while in other cases the leg exited the ROPS involuntarily, due to the force of the upset and the lack of a safeguard to keep it in.
In 2006, various engineering teams began extensively testing and evaluating the Yamaha Rhino, and comparable Utility Terrain Vehicles ("UTV") for stability, safety and other areas of concern. The law firm of Craft Hughes Law, P.C. is actively reviewing cases and accidents across America where individuals have suffered serious injuries and/or death in Yamaha Rhino Recreational Utility Vehicle ("RUV") accidents, including rollovers. The injuries typically are broken or crushed legs, ankles or feet. In some cases, the injuries were so severe as to require amputation. In certain cases, Rhino rollovers have even led to deaths.
Contact Yamaha Rhino Accident Attorney W. Craft Hughes
If you or a loved one were injured in a Yamaha Rhino ATV accident, please complete our online form or call toll-free at 888-350-3931 and ask to speak with Yamaha Rhino accident lawyer/attorney W. Craft Hughes for a free consultation. All inquiries are kept strictly confidential.
The law firm of Craft Hughes Law, P.C. recommends that you contact experienced legal counsel as soon as possible after an accident. Involving legal counsel early can help preserve the evidence that important to your claim and help ensure that you receive proper compensation. Please call or e-mail us for a free legal consultation if you or a loved one has been injured in a Yamaha Rhino ATV accident. You will not be charged any fee for the consultation and, if we take your case, you will not be charged a fee unless we win your case. We will promptly review your case without charge or obligation on your part. We can assist you in recovering damages for your pain and suffering along with past and future medical expenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about Rhino rollover accidents and safety? Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
*Trademark Notice: "Yamaha" is a trademark of Yamaha Motor Company. Craft Hughes Law, P.C. is in no way affiliated with Yamaha Motor Company. The use of this mark is solely for informational and product identification purposes.
