Rhino Class Action

The Yamaha Rhino is one of a new breed of off-road vehicle design that has become popular in the last few years. The Rhino provides side-by-side seating for two passengers, along with a utility box designed like a tiny pickup truck bed mounted behind the riders. The seating area is surrounded by a roll cage.

These new UTVs (Utility Terrain Vehicles) are built on a chassis that is longer than those found on a traditional ATV four-wheeler. The chassis remains narrow however, allowing for passage through tight spots. The center of gravity is higher than an ATV, and the wheels are relatively small. In the case of the Yamaha Rhino, these design characteristics have led to some serious problems with the vehicle’s performance. Specifically, the design causes the Rhino to tip over or rollover easily and provides minimal protection to its riders.

There have been injuries and fatalities in several states as the result of accidents involving Yamaha Rhinos. The nature of the injuries has also often been serious. Riders have no side protection, and a Rhino rolling sideways will cause the rider’s outer leg, arm and even torso to be thrown outside the vehicle even though the rider has a fastened seatbelt. The result has been, in some cases, severe spinal injuries and amputated limbs.

Rhino lawsuits have also been filed because the vehicle functions very poorly on any paved surface. The warning label on every Rhino being produced today states that the driver should “Avoid paved surfaces. Turn gradually and go slowly if you must drive on pavement…” Imagine an off-road vehicle that can’t navigate a flat, paved surface. It’s hard to defend a design of that sort, and it’s highly likely that Yamaha will be doing so once a Rhino class action suit is filed. They have already settled several individual cases.

Yamaha continues to defend the integrity of the Rhino’s design, but they have taken a couple of steps that suggest they know there’s a problem. The 2008 model was introduced with the addition of doors and handgrips on the frame as standard features. Yamaha has also offered to put doors and handgrips on any Rhino sold since 2004 free of charge.

UTVs are becoming popular because they are more powerful, can carry equipment and can take two people places that many ATVs could not. It does seem, however, that Yamaha’s Rhino may have sacrificed some fundamental design standards in order to enter the market. The warning label mentioned above also declares that the Rhino should not be driven by anyone under the age of 16 and anyone who does not have a driver’s license.

Many of the ATVs in use today are driven by kids who don’t meet those benchmarks. Introducing a product into a market that precludes use by perhaps one third of the current ATV enthusiasts may become a legal albatross for Yamaha. Introducing any four wheeled vehicle that is dangerous on a spin around the block is certainly an oversight. The current individual lawsuits against Yamaha by victims of Rhino rollovers are almost certainly going to lead to a Rhino class action lawsuit in the near future.