According to a press release from the Hubbard County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s office, Tabaka lost control of the vehicle, which caused it to leave the road and strike a tree. The accident was reported about 6 p.m. in Steamboat River Township.

Emergency workers declared Christopherson, a resident of Benedict, Minn., dead at the scene of the accident. Tabaka was taken to North Country Regional Hospital with a broken collarbone and fractured vertebra. The hospital listed him in good condition.

Authorities continue to investigate possible causes of the accident. Both Christopherson and Tabaka were wearing helmets, but ATV collisions and rollovers often result in body trauma despite protective head gear. The Honda TRX is a quad style vehicle, requiring the driver and passenger to straddle the frame. Because the vehicles lack roll bars, seat belts, and other protective features to contain the riders, quad collisions are exceptionally dangerous.

According to a recently published report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), there were an estimated 816 ATV-related fatalities in 2007, the agency’s most recent estimate. In 2008, an estimated 134,900 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries sustained in ATV accidents. However, these numbers do not include Yamaha Rhinos and other side-by-side style vehicles, which the federal government now classifies with golf carts as recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs).

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV crash kills Minnesota woman, injures another

According to Iron County Sheriff Mark Gower, the girls were riding the Rhino on a private ranch about 40 miles west of Cedar City in southwestern Utah near the Nevada and Arizona borders. The Rhino’s driver, a 9-year-old girl, hit the tree at a high rate of speed.

Gower told the Salt Lake Tribune that “the force of the wreck broke the bolts holding the seat.”

Gower identified the 5-year-old girl who was seriously injured as Avalon Carlisle. The girl suffered head trauma from the Rhino’s roll bar and was taken to Valley View Medical Center in Cedar City, where she was airlifted to Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City. A hospital spokesperson told the Salt Lake Tribune on Monday that the girl was recovering and in good condition.

The other girls went to private homes following the crash and Sheriff’s deputies had to track them all down. Sheriff Gower told the Tribune that the four other girls were then taken to Cedar City for medical attention.

None of the girls was wearing a helmet.

On public land in Utah, it is illegal for anyone younger than 8 years old to drive an ATV. All drivers ages 8 to 16 must have a safety training certificate if operating on public lands.

However, Utah state law does not place any restrictions on the use of all-terrain vehicles on private property. Nonetheless, police are screening the case for possible negligence charges.

Investigators were told that the girls took the vehicle on their own without permission. Nevertheless, Gower told the Tribune that the girls’ parents or guardians could be held accountable.

“It was negligent and charges could be filed against whoever allowed it or allowed them to continue riding,”

Gower told the Tribune that the owner of the Rhino lives in Colorado City, Arizona and was not present when the crash occurred.

Ann Evans, the off-highway vehicle coordinator for the Utah Division of State Parks, told the Tribune that she sees a “disturbing trend” at some popular off-roading locations with mothers holding their babies in chest carriers while riding.

Babies and children are especially prone to receive traumatic head injuries on an ATV, either from the rough, jarring motion of the vehicle or by striking their heads on a hard surface in the event of a crash or rollover. Helmet companies do not make helmets for infants.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Five girls injured in Yamaha Rhino rollover

Bloomingdale police said that Mlynarczyk was rushed to Copley Medical Center in Aurora where he was pronounced dead later that evening. They did not specify the nature of Mlynarczyk’s injuries and the accident remains under investigation.

The fatal rollover stunned Mlynarczyk’s friends and family. According to Chicago’s Daily Herald, the man’s father, Marion Mlynarczyk said his son was an experienced driver of both three- and four-wheeled ATVs and dirt bikes.

“He just loves it, it’s like he was born with that (passion),” his father told the Daily Herald, which noted that “Even the main photo on his Facebook profile includes a photo of Mlynarczyk atop an ATV.”

Mlynarczyk was the youngest of five children. He graduated last year from Glenbard North High School and was studying to become a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning specialist.

“If you knew him, you would like him right away because he was such a positive person. Everybody liked him (because) he was always willing to help and always giving good advice,” his father said.

Mlynarczyk’s father said that his son “was looking forward to graduating and working as a Union Guy.”

“We are going to miss him tremendously and I don’t know how we are going to fill the gap he left. I look at his pictures and he is so full of life and hope, and now he’s gone,” his father told the Daily Herald.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollover claims the life of 19-year-old Illinois student

However, CFA’s director for product safety, Rachel Weintraub, suggested that the CPSC data was misleading and that ATVs remain a serious threat to U.S. consumers, and particularly to children.

“ATVs are still causing hundreds of deaths and well over a hundred thousand injuries a year, which makes them one of the most dangerous products that CPSC oversees,” Weintraub said.

CPSC records show that at least 74 children were killed and 37,000 seriously injured in ATV rollovers and other accidents in 2008. These figures, however, do not include the number of children who were killed in Yamaha Rhinos and similar side-by-side vehicles, which the CPSC now classifies separately as recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs).

The CPSC removed reported incidents involving ATV deaths and injuries from the ATV incident reports, which are tracked in another database and will be reported separately.

Therefore, although it appears that ATV deaths and injuries are declining for children in the U.S., evidence strongly suggests a change in the CPSC’s record keeping methods is the cause of the apparent decline.

The CPSC considers an ATV to be an off-road, motorized vehicle having three or four low pressure tires, a straddle seat for the driver, and handlebars for steering control.

Off-road motor vehicles having steering wheels and either bench or bucket seats, such as golf carts, dune buggies, recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), and certain types of utility vehicles are not categorized as ATVs by the CPSC.

The CPSC’s classification changes are bound to cause some confusion, as vehicles such as the Yamaha Rhino are now categorized with golf carts instead of with other off-road vehicles such as the Yamaha Grizzly, which the manufacturer officially calls the Grizzly ATV. Already a number of web sites are picking up stories on the decrease in ATV death rates because of the switch.

Despite changes to their name or classification – ATVs, ROVs, UTVs, ORVs, side by sides, or four wheelers — the risks associated with these vehicles remain the same.

“ATVs continue to represent a significant risk of injury and death for children,” chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics, H. Garry Gardner, MD FAAP, told the CFA, adding that “Children under the age of 16 should not operate or ride ATVs.”

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › CPSC data shows false decline in ATV deaths and injuries

Mississippi remains one of the few states with almost no laws restricting the use of ATVs. As a result, the number of ATV-related injuries and deaths in Mississippi is three times higher than in most other parts of the country.

Tragically, in Mississippi, children are too often the victims of the dangerous vehicles, and there is a growing feeling that the state’s lack of legislation governing their use and safety represents a big part of the problem.

Two days before Christmas, in Warren County, Mississippi, an ATV accident claimed the life of 15-year-old Caitlin Lopez, who was driving a Yamaha Big Bear when “suddenly it flipped,” according to Jackson NBC affiliate WLBT. The accident injured 6-year-old twin sisters Kimberly and Kaylee Madison, who were passengers in the Yamaha when it rolled over.

“Knowing that they’re here and that they’re walking and talking and breathing. It is remarkable to me,” Selena Madison, the mother of the twins, told WLBT.

Last year, Coroner Gillentine-Green pronounced the deaths of 20-year-old Crystal Hooper and her 5-year-old cousin Natalie Aguilar, who were killed when the ATV they were on crashed. According to available reports, Hooper lost control of the ATV and ran into a trailer full of building supplies. Both Hooper and Aguilar sustained head injuries in the accident.

But will adding new legislation, such as requiring the use of helmets, help reduce the number of ATV-related injuries and fatalities? Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace says it will.

“I attribute at least some of this to Mississippi’s lack of legislation,” Pace told WLBT, referring to the recent spate of ATV crashes that claimed the lives of Mississippi teens and children.

But Sheriff Pace also believes that the vehicles are dangerous to start with, and that anyone riding them should be extremely cautious, no matter what the laws are.

“In 2009, we’ve lost two beautiful teenage girls to four wheeler accidents. And they’re just inherently dangerous vehicles,” Pace said.

Two Mississippi legislators, Gray Tollison (D) and Dannie Reed (R) are also calling for better legislation.

“We need to consider legislation this session to decrease the increasing number of ATV deaths and serious injuries, especially children. I believe that the passage of a law requiring the use of a helmet and required training for persons without a drivers license would go a long way to reduce the number of ATV deaths and serious injuries in Mississippi,” Tollison said in a statement.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV deaths prompt Mississippi to consider better ATV legislation

The boy was off-roading with his father, each of them driving separate vehicles, when the accident occurred. Authorities said that Quarles fell off of his ATV and landed in a ditch, but did not elaborate on the cause of the accident.

Reports indicate that the boy and his father followed the usual precautions. Quarles was wearing a helmet, he was driving an age-appropriate “small four wheeler,” and was operating the ATV under adult supervision. Still, though, the safety measures were not enough to prevent the boy’s death.

Quarles was rushed to Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood but was pronounced dead in the emergency room, according to the Index Journal. Autopsy reports revealed that the boy died from blunt force trauma to the chest area, which caused cardiac arrest. Legally required toxicology tests were still being processed as part of the autopsy, but doctors did not expect abnormal results from them.

Students, teachers, and school administration mourned Quarles’ death on Monday. Ware Shoals Primary School principal Frank Cason told the Index Journal that Monday morning was difficult for Quarles’ classmates and others who knew him.

“He was a nice young man,” Cason said. “He was well-mannered and the kids liked him a lot. He was the kind of kid you would want in your class. It has been a sad, sad morning,” Carson told the paper.

The boy’s mother Ashley Quarles told Spartanburg’s News Channel 7 that Erik “was just the sweetest little boy and if you ever met him, you’d remember him. He was a good ‘ole country boy. His dream was to be a bull rider.”

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › despite safety precautions, ATV accident kills south carolina boy

Reports say that Rivers was driving on a path near South Chestnut Street and East Franklin Avenue in the Beulah community southeast of downtown Foley when he struck a wire that had been strung across the path. London sustained serious neck injuries when she hit the wire and was pronounced dead at the scene. Rivers also received serious neck injuries and was taken to South Baldwin Hospital for treatment. The older girl suffered no injuries and was released to family.

Authorities say the accident took place about 6:15. The incident is under investigation and no arrests have been made. Some reports say that the wire was strung between 2 posts, one on each side of the trail, bearing “no trespassing” signs.

London would have celebrated her fourth birthday next week.

According to government records, children represent 40% of all ATV-related injuries and deaths. More than 50 children are admitted to Alabama Children’s hospitals every year with injuries they received in an ATV rollover or other accident. The most common injuries associated with ATV accidents involve the head, face, and spine; traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and paralysis, and fractures are some of the serious injuries children typically receive in ATV crashes.

ATV injuries and deaths have escalated sharply in the last couple of years as off-road vehicles become increasingly popular.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › 3-year-old Alabama girl dies when ATV strikes a wire

The boy’s parents, James and Bonnie Spencer, needed a UTV for farming chores. They bought a Rhino 450 from their local Yamaha dealership on May 20. Having heard about the Rhino’s propensity to roll over, the Spencers had their dealership make the recommended safety upgrades, including installing spacers on the rear of the vehicle to give it added stability. The Spencers received their Rhino last Thursday after the proper work had been performed, according to a report by the Times Union.

Wyatt, as the boy was called by family and friends, was anxious to test drive the new Rhino. Having grown up on a farm, he had a lot of experience driving four wheelers and dirt bikes. So when the Rhino was delivered, he and a friend were eager to give it a spin.

The boys rode the Rhino around for most of the afternoon, took a break, and then decided to ride one more time in the early evening, around 5 p.m.

The Rhino rolled when it hit a patch of wet grass about 500 yards from the Spencers’ home. The vehicle, weighing more than half a ton, landed on top of Wyatt. His friend, 14-year-old Brian Pitts, was able to push the vehicle off of his friend. He then ran home and called 911.

Paramedics rushed Wyatt to an ER in Albany, where he was pronounced dead from severe head trauma. Wyatt was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. It is not known whether the Spencers received a free helmet from Yamaha as part of the recommended safety recall.

Most of the Rhino-related deaths – about 50 in the U.S. so far – were caused as a result of injuries sustained in a rollover. According to the Times Union, a certified mechanic will inspect the Spencers’ vehicle to make sure the safety upgrades were installed properly.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Rhino rollover claims life of 13-year-old boy

The rollover occurred on Monday evening when Camarillo apparently lost control of the Rhino. According to the local coroner’s investigator, Camarillo was thrown from the vehicle. He was not wearing a safety belt. Investigators do not yet know what caused the driver to lose control of the UTV and roll over.

The Desert Sun reports that aside from Camarillo and the passenger who was airlifted in critical condition, four others received injuries as a result of the rollover. All were transported to area hospitals.

The accident occurred nearly two months after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Yamaha Motor Corporation issued a safety recall of all Rhino models (450, 660, and 700). The CPSC announced the recall after investigating 50 Rhino accidents. Although many of the reports investigated by the CPSC involved unbelted passengers, the agency found that several of the accidents appeared to result from design flaws that critics claim make the UTVs unstable.

120,000 Rhinos have been sold since the vehicles first appeared on the U.S. market in the fall of 2003. Since then, Rhinos have been blamed on nearly 50 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Consumers have filed approximately 200 lawsuits against Yamaha in U.S. courts, alleging the Rhinos to be dangerously unstable, even when driven on flat terrain and at low rates of speed.

The CPSC has advised all Rhino owners to stop using the vehicles until a local dealer has made the appropriate safety upgrades to the vehicles. Additionally, Yamaha has instructed its dealerships to stop selling Rhinos until the improvements are made. Yamaha is also giving free helmets to Rhino owners who schedule their vehicles for the safety upgrades.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Rhino rollover kills California man, injures 5 others

The CPSC’s investigation of Rhino accidents found that an unreasonably high number of rollover-related deaths and injuries occurred while the vehicles were driven at low speeds and on flat terrain. Since 2003, when the Rhino first debuted on the U.S. market, it has been blamed for 46 deaths and hundreds of injuries, many of which are serious and life-altering. Consumers have filed some 200 lawsuits in U.S. courts.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Rhinos are not just popular recreational vehicles in Australia. Farmers, Surf Life Saving patrols (a national association of lifeguards), and Rural Fire Brigades also use them in their daily tasks.

Surf Life Saving Australia told the Daily telegraph that Yamaha assured them that “there are no safety concerns with the Rhino” and that it’s not offering the repair program in Australia because “when the user guidelines are followed, the Rhino is a safe and extremely capable side-by-side vehicle.”

The SLSA also told the Daily Telegraph that it implements driver training programs developed specifically for the Rhino. However, Yamaha told the association that “typical use” of the vehicles in the U.S. differed significantly from the SLSA’s use, and that “safety issues are not replicated here.”

So, in other words, Americans are irresponsible (if not reckless) Rhino drivers, the CPSC’s concerns are unfounded, and there’s nothing whatsoever wrong with the Rhino’s design, even though more people are killed or maimed while using them than any other UTV?

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Yamaha Australia offers no Rhino safety recall

Both lawsuits allege that Yamaha Rhinos have fundamental design flaws such as a high center of gravity, narrow track width, and narrow wheels, which make the vehicles highly unstable. The problematic design, combined with a lack of safety features that would help contain passengers and their limbs inside the vehicle, make riding in a Rhino exceptionally dangerous.

Yamaha warns consumers that Rhinos are susceptible to roll over if driven aggressively and on uneven ground. Most lawsuits, however, are filed by victims and their families who allege that the vehicles turned over on flat ground and at a low speed. Yamaha also advised drivers to keep their limbs inside the vehicle in the event of a rollover, yet Rhinos lack the necessary features to make doing so possible.

Both of the West Virginia complaints assert that injuries caused by the Rhino accidents led to medical expenses and lost wages in addition to permanent physical impairment, pain, mental anguish, and a loss in quality of life.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) responded to all of the complaints against Rhino by launching an investigation last year. The agency found that the vehicles to be unreasonably dangerous and urged consumers to avoid driving their Rhinos until the appropriate safety upgrades were made by a local dealer.

The CPSC and Yamaha jointly announced the “voluntary repair program,” effectively a recall, on March 31. Safety critics applaud Yamaha’s willingness to add safety features to all vehicles sold since 2003, but say that the company still needs to address the Rhino’s fundamental safety flaws.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Rhino’s fundamental design flaws form basis of more lawsuits

The Sands lost their 10-year-old daughter Ellie when the Rhino she was a passenger in rolled over, crushing her head between the ground and the vehicle’s unpadded roll cage. The accident occurred when the driver, traveling at 15 mph on flat terrain, attempted to make a right turn. Ellie suffered a massive brain injury and died the following day.

Since Ellie’s death, the Sands have courageously turned their grief into a positive effort to call attention to the dangers of the Yamaha Rhino. They forged alliances with families of other victims who were killed or injured in Rhino rollovers and they flooded the CPSC with testimonies. Then, after months of investigations, the CPSC announced what is effectively a recall of the Rhinos.

The CPSC has advised all Rhino owners to immediately stop driving their UTVs until Yamaha makes a series of repairs and improvements to the vehicles, free of charge, at a Yamaha dealership. Yamaha Motor Co. has advised all its dealerships to discontinue selling additional Rhino 450, 660, and 700 models until those same modifications have been performed. The modifications are intended to give the Rhino more stability and reduce the chances of being maimed or killed in a rollover.

John and Tammy Sand can now share a sense of accomplishment, and they are pleased that the CPSC pushed Yamaha to take a step in the right direction.

“It made us feel good,” Sands told the Middletown Journal. “I don’t want to take credit for this, but it’s a fight we took up for Ellie.”

Resources: Ellie’s Mission Page; Yamaha Motor Co.; CPSC; Middletown Journal

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Parents of Yamaha Rhino victim happy about ‘recall’

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced just last week that owners of Yamaha Rhino 450, 660, and 700 models could take the vehicles to their dealership for free safety repairs and upgrades. Although Yamaha clearly denies on its website that this is not a recall but a “voluntary repair program,” the CPSC believes the vehicles are a substantial risk and advises the public to avoid operating Rhinos until the proper improvements have been made. Yamaha has also told its dealers to refrain from selling Rhinos until the repairs have been made.

Yamaha Rhinos have been under investigation by the CPSC for months. The commission analyzed more than 50 Rhino accidents that involved 46 driver and passenger deaths. Two-thirds of the accidents resulted in a rollover.

Yamaha’s complimentary “repair campaign” addresses some of the issues that make the Rhino so unstable. It will modify the rear wheels with spacers, giving the vehicle a wider track. It will also remove the rear anti-sway bar, which Yamaha expects will reduce the chance of a rollover and improve the vehicle’s stability and handling.

Because hundreds more people have been seriously maimed in Rhino rollovers, Yamaha is also installing half doors and handholds. Those improvements are intended to reduce the number of people who suffer from crushed or amputated arms and legs. Additionally, Yamaha is offering owners free helmets when they update their Rhinos.

Despite the improvements, critics of the vehicle say that they still don’t adequately address the vehicles’ design flaws. Maneuvers that can be performed safely on other ATVs are still unreasonably dangerous when done on a Rhino.

The Canadian lawsuit was filed in Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Dec. 12, 2008 and served to Yamaha last week.

Source: Bloomberg.com

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Rhino lawsuit moves forward as Yamaha launches repair campaign

The repairs are designed to reduce rollover risk, as well as to improve handling and keep riders’ limbs inside the vehicles.

Rhino 450 and 660 owners should stop using these vehicles and call their local dealer to schedule an appointment for repairs. They can also receive a free helmet.

Sales of these vehicles have also been suspended for repairs.

This is the first government recall of this category of recreational vehicle.

For more details, call Yamaha at 800-962-7926.

SOURCE: The Associated Press

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Yamaha Rhino ATVs recall issued for two models

Earlier this week we featured J.T. Crow, a 9-year-old boy who died when the Yamaha Rhino he was a passenger in rolled onto its side, throwing him from the ATV and pinning him underneath its unpadded roll cage. Since the accident, which occurred in June 2007, J.T.’s mother, Heidi Crow, embarked on a mission to “help save others from a tragic fate like J.T.’s.”

ACCORDING TO THE PRESS RELEASE: One result of Ms. Crow’s work is the “Citizen Report on UTV Vehicle Hazards,” a compilation of information, statistics, and evidence underscoring the dangers of the Yamaha Rhino and other utility terrain vehicles (UTVs). Ms. Crow collaborated with family members of other Rhino victims, the Trauma Foundation, and the Center for Auto Safety in publishing the report, which is dedicated to the memory of J.T.

“The Yamaha Rhino and some of the other sport-based UTVs have a much greater propensity to roll over than any passenger vehicle or truck on the road,” the report states in its opening. “There are, however, no governmental minimum safety performance standards currently applicable to these vehicles,” the report says.

The authors believe that “such standards are vitally important to prevent occupants from being seriously injured during rollover. Yamaha Rhinos lacking adequate occupant protection have injured, maimed or killed literally hundreds of consumers.”

The report was released to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Recreational Off Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA), and key members of Congress.

“Utility Terrain Vehicles have fallen within a regulatory crevice. These vehicles were introduced to the market and have been sold to consumers without having to meet government safety and performance standards. It is imperative that federal and/or state safety agencies step forward to protect consumers from the growing number of fatalities and severe injuries,” said Ms. Crow in releasing the report.

The report focuses on the safety defects of the Rhino that make it one of the most dangerous UTVs in the world. It also identifies 38 people who lost their lives in Rhino accidents.

“A national tragedy is occurring. Scores of adults, teenagers, and children have been left permanently disabled after their hands, arms, feet, and legs have been crushed in Yamaha Rhino rollovers, and many innocent children have been killed,” Ms. Crow said.

“We call upon Yamaha and other UTV manufacturers to incorporate key safety features necessary to protect occupants from accidents, injuries, and deaths.”

The report calls for many improvements to the Rhino, including better occupant containment methods so that passengers remain inside the vehicle during a rollover; supplementary safety restraints such as partial doors, padded roll cages, and netting; effective seat belt restraint systems that comply with US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; improved stability and handling; and other safety upgrades.

The entire report can be viewed here.

SOURCE: http://www.yamaharhinorolloverandrecall.com/news_articles/2009/20090227-press.htm

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Families devastated by Rhino rollovers release safety report

According to an article in the DeSoto Times-Tribune, the sixth grade class at Lewisburg sponsored the planting of a red maple in front of the school, and they decided to dedicate the new tree to the memory of their classmate Lauren. A plaque bearing Lauren’s name sits beside the tree. The red maple was donated by Quality Landscaping and Garden Center of Olive Branch, Miss.

“Everytime you see it, you can think of her,” said Kelly Wallhood, whose children also attend Lewisburg Middle-High, to the gathered crowd. “You can watch it grow and remember your friend.”

The girl’s father, Trae Dilworth, told the Times-Tribune that he will stop by to see the tree frequently.

“It’s just a living memory of Lauren that will hopefully be here for years to come,” he told the paper.

Lauren’s father was also moved by the kindness of the community in remembering his daughter, especially because she and her family were new in town.

“To have only lived here a short period of time, it’s amazing that such caring people thought so much about Lauren,” Dilworth told the Times-Tribune. “This says a lot about the community.”

Lauren and her friend Emily Bates, also 11 years old, were both in the Rhino when the rollover occurred. Both girls were pinned underneath the vehicle. Dilworth died at the scene and Bates died later at the emergency room.

Dilworth’s science and social studies teacher, Tabitha Green, said that Lauren made a quick and lasting impression on those who knew her, if even for a brief time.

“I never met a girl who was so happy,” Green told the Times-Tribune. “We love Lauren and miss her.”

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Community remembers girl killed in Yamaha Rhino rollover

The woman filed her lawsuit in January in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas, Marshall Division. According to a report in the Southeast Texas Record, her suit, like the other suits filed against Yamaha throughout the county, alleges that the “Rhino is excessively prone to tip over even at low speeds, on flat or slight grade terrain, and while conducting safe turns.”

The suit suggests that Yamaha manufactures the Rhino knowing that the ATV’s instability and lack of safety features makes it a dangerous ride for passengers. She argues that the ATV not only has a narrow track width and high center of gravity, but that its heavy, unpadded roll cage can harm passengers rather than them during a rollover incident.

The Southeast Texas Record points out that Yamaha sent letters to Yamaha owners in 2007 which instructed them to keep their arms and legs inside the vehicle in the event of a rollover. What Yamaha doesn’t explain in the letter is how passengers and their children can recall these words of advice in the middle of a terrifying rollover. Nor does it describe how passengers can defy the laws of physics during an accident, preventing limbs from exiting the ATV as it tips or tumbles.

The suit seeks damages for medical expenses, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, and pain and mental anguish. It also seeks punitive damages of an unspecified amount, alleging that Yamaha acted “in a malicious, wanton, willful, fraudulent and reckless manner evincing such an entire want of care as to raise the presumption of a conscious indifference to the consequences.”

More than 100,000 Rhinos have been sold since Yamaha started selling them in 2003.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Texas woman sues Yamaha for daughter injured in Rhino rollover

Heading back to his family’s campsite, Johnson turned the Rhino when it suddenly flipped. At some point during the accident Bithell’s left leg protruded from the vehicle. The half-ton vehicle flipped over onto the driver’s side, shattering the lower half of Bithell’s leg.

Bithell has undergone three surgeries and skin grafts since the rollover occurred on February 18, 2007. Despite the medical procedures, however, Bithell’s leg remains severely disfigured and he continues to experience pain on a daily basis.

While Bithell’s injuries remind him that one’s life can change dramatically in a flash, they are also an unfortunate memento of how exceedingly dangerous Yamaha Rhinos can be, even when riders take the proper precautions to prevent injuries. Bithell was wearing a seatbelt when the Rhino tipped, yet the vehicle’s frame failed to contain Bithell’s leg. Instead, the bare roll cage ripped through his skin and muscle and shattered his leg.

The Rhino’s design does not take into consideration that the limbs of the riders easily protrude from the vehicle in a rollover. Hundreds of injuries similar to Bithell’s and at least 36 deaths resulting from Yamaha Rhino accidents have been reported nationwide.

The Rhino’s inherent danger and instability come from a number of poor elements in the vehicles design. Rhinos possess a high center of gravity. The top heavy ATVs also have a steering geometry that performs poorly with the vehicle’s narrow track width and small wheels, making them prone to turn over even when traveling at low speeds and on flat terrain.

Bithell’s suit was filed in an Orange County court. The Yamaha Motor Corporation headquarters are located in the Orange County city of Cypress.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › California man injured in Rhino rollover sues Yamaha

In Maryland, Joseph Paciera, 24, died Tuesday night when he lost control of the ATV he was driving and struck a tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, a 21-year-old Maryland woman was rushed to the hospital, where she is being treated for life-threatening injuries. Authorities say that the ATV rolled over and landed on top of Panciera and his passenger.

KOMO News in Seattle reports that a 41-year-old man was critically injured when his ATV crashed on a city street in West Seattle late Christmas night. The man was riding his ATV with a friend, who did not witness the accident because he was driving ahead of the victim when the accident occurred. The injured man was admitted to Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center, where he is being treated for life-threatening injuries.

In Miami, two children who received an ATV as a Christmas present last year were flown to the hospital with serious injuries on this Christmas day. A 15-year-old boy and his 10-year-old sister were riding the ATV when it hit a bump in the road, causing the ATV to lose control and run head-on into a car that was in motion. Authorities weren’t sure if the children were wearing any protective gear when the accident occurred.

Further north in Central Florida, a 7-year-old child was critically injured while driving an ATV on private property on Christmas Eve. The ATV struck a small tree, throwing the child from the vehicle around 2 p.m. The child was airlifted to a Tallahassee hospital. Charges will be filed because of the incident, according to a report by the Florida Highway Patrol.

In yet another incident in Florida, a 27-year-old Cape Coral man received severe head injuries when his ATV rolled over on Christmas day. According to police, Justin Sears, the victim, was not wearing a helmet at the time of the incident. His 3-year-old passenger, who was wearing a helmet, suffered only minor injuries.

Sadly, an 11-year old girl died near Jacksonville, Florida when the ATV she was driving rolled over and landed on top of her. The victim, Carmen Jenkins, was a fifth grader at Rusk Intermediate School. The accident occurred at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday, December 20. Carmen was visiting her grandmother and grandfather in Red Springs when the accident occurred.

A 51-year-old man died in Oregon when he was thrown from the ATV he was driving on Monday, December 22. Investigators at the scene of the accident said that the ATV apparently spun out in the heavy snow, catapulting Gary Boyko of Boring, Oregon into a fence made of railroad tie posts not far from his home. Boyko’s death was the result of “blunt force trauma to the chest.”

Any number of factors can be responsible for an ATV wreck, whether it be serious design flaws, lack of safety gear, irresponsible drivers, or a combination of things. The tragic events of this last week should remind us that all ATVs should be handled with caution and driven responsibly. More unstable ATVs, such as the Yamaha Rhino, should be handled with extreme caution or avoided altogether, as some safety advocates and victims believe.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Holiday season turns tragic for many ATV owners

Rachel A. Jollimore was in the passenger seat of the vehicle when the driver swerved to avoid hitting a tree, causing the Rhino to roll onto its side. Jollimore was pinned underneath the UTV. She sustained a fractured skull and broken hand in the accident, which occurred in a field in Silver Springs, Florida.

Jollimore told Ocala.com that she has been considerably impaired since the July 2007 accident. “I have to watch what I do. I can’t pick anything up heavy. I can bend, but I have a limited ability. I can’t sleep on my stomach,” she told Ocala.com

In addition to suing Yamaha, Jollimore has filed suit against a manufacturing division of Yamaha and the Ocala dealer that sold the Rhino. Her suit alleges the Rhino possesses a number of design flaws that make it unsafe, including high center of gravity, narrow track width, narrow wheels and tires, and side-by-side seating. all of which contribute to the vehicle’s propensity to roll over in certain conditions.

The suit is one of the latest in a growing number of lawsuits against Yamaha throughout the country. About 200 lawsuits involving the Rhino UTV have been filed to date in both state and federal courts.

The Rhino debuted in the U.S. in 2003. Since then, more than 100,000 of the UTVs have been sold nationwide.

Jollimore has accrued more than $100,000 in medical expenses related to the accident. She seeks damages for herself and for her family, according to Ocala.com.

Yamaha continues to stand behind the Rhino and its design, claiming that the vehicle is safe when it is used responsibly.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Florida woman injured in Rhino wreck sues

Friends and family located his body in Adelanto after they searched the area for 45 minutes. Arapetyan was thrown out of his ATV after driving on a rough trail. His body became intertwined with the left front side of the ATV and was then dragged across the trail.

Arapetyan was driving at an unknown speed with no helmet and no seatbelt. At this time, alcohol and drugs are not considered to be a factor.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Rhino rollover accident kills Victorville man

Careless driving is believed to have contributed to the accident. According to WSFA, Alabama State Trooper Zachary Harrelson said the driver of the ATV “failed to yield to the ‘Game and Fish’ vehicle and was subsequently struck by the ‘Game and Fish’ vehicle.”

The news report cites statistics from the Alabama Department of Public Safety that say in 2007, 121 ATV accidents have occurred on public roads in Alabama, resulting in 94 injuries and 13 deaths.

No helmet laws exist in Alabama, and training isn’t required by Alabama law, although it is offered by many ATV dealers.

As ATVs are becoming more popular among children, chidren are becoming more at risk of having an ATV accident.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV safety questioned after fatal accident in Alabama

The Mitchells’ daughter was a passenger in the Rhino ATV when it rolled over onto the passenger side. The June 2005 accident occurred while the ATV was being driven soundly, leading the Mitchells to allege that the Yamaha Rhino is dangerously unstable and defective. Like many people throughout the country, the Mitchells suggest the accident would not have occurred if Yamaha had set higher standards for Rhino safety.

While Yamaha stands by the safety of its Rhino, critics claim that the ATV is exceptionally dangerous because of its high center of gravity, narrow track width, narrow wheels and tires, and side-by-side seating.

The Mitchells’ daughter suffered severe injuries to her knee, arm, foot, and ankle in the rollover. She required emergency surgery and surgeons ultimately had to amputate four of the toes on her right foot.

“No more children or adults should suffer serious injuries for simply riding in the Rhino,” said Teresa Mitchell in report from the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch.

“In a split second, these dangerous vehicles can change a life forever,” she said.

The Mitchells believe that their lawsuit against Yamaha will help prompt Yamaha “to acknowledge its legal responsibility to injured riders and make the Rhino a safe vehicle.”

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Parents of Tenn. girl injured in Rhino rollover sue Yamaha

The ATV flipped on the road and pinned the two girls’ bodies; both girls were not wearing seat belts, which may or may not have made a difference in their lives.

After he discovered the accident,  Milton Kuykendall, Superintendent of Education in Lewisburg, said, “Life can change in an instant.  We are so sorry for their families and friends. There is no greater sadness than losing a child.”

The girls’ teachers considered Bates and Dilworth, both sixth graders,  to be “excellent students.” Lewisburg Middle High principal James Brady said about Dilworth, “She was very well-liked by her peers and loved by her teachers.”

Levi Williams, principle of Southaven Middle School said about Bates, “She was an exceptional soccer player, playing on two Southaven recreational leagues, and a member of the SMS band.”

James Wheat, a friend of Bates, can only pray for the two families, considering both girls were very young.

A memorial service was held for Dilworth on October 21st while a service was held for Bates on October 22nd. The families desire any memorials for the girls be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Community grieves girls’ death

Lauren Dilworth and Emily Bates were riding the Yamaha Rhino in the Lewisburg area when the tires are believed to have caught on the pavement, resulting in its overturn.

Both girls’ torsos and heads were injured during the crash; Dilworth died on the scene while Bates died in the emergency room.

DeSoto County Sheriff, Bill Rosco, believes the accident may have been avoided if the Yamaha Rhino would have remained off the road as state law requires.

With the history of Yamaha Rhinos causing countless accidents, you can’t know for sure.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Girls die in yamaha rhino accident

Still, another person has unfortunatuely died while riding a Yamaha Rhino.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › man dies in Rhino ATV crash

The Ledger Dispatch reports the driver, who was from Livermore, received “major injuries” to his neck and face, and was airlifted to Sutter Roseville Medical Center for treatment. The passenger, a resident of Galt, endured injuries to her neck and right arm and also was airlifted for treatment, to Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael.

According to the news agency, the accident occurred Aug. 30 at close to 2:30 p.m., when the driver steered into a sharp left turn and the vehicle rolled over. Neither the driver nor the passenger were wearing seatbelts or helmets at the time of the accident, the report states.

The Ledger Dispath noted the Yamaha Rhino has been linked to rollovers since its introduction in 2003, and cites a report from U.S. Recall News, saying riders and passengers have suffered “debilitating fractures” when pinned under the weight of the vehicle. The two teens injured in the Saturday accident were in a 2007 model Yamaha Rhino.

In August 2007, the Yamaha Motor Corporation sent a safety bulletin to Rhino owners advising that the vehicle could be returned to Yamaha dealers for installation of new safety equipment – doors and passenger handholds, to improve the vehicle’s safety following numerous reports of rollover accidents and injuries.

The 2007 Yamaha Rhino owner’s manual was updated to include the new doors and handholds, and Rhino owners were provided a supplemental guide about the new safety features, and a label for the Rhino dashboard outlining the risk of vehicle rollover. Doors and passenger handholds were made standard features in the 2008 model of the Yamaha Rhino.

It is unclear from the Ledger Dispatch report whether the Yamaha Rhino involved in the weekend’s rollover accident had doors or handholds.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Labor Day weekend Rhino rollover

According to reports on local television station NBC15, the rollover occured on private property in the area of Lancaster, Wis., on Sunday morning. The report says the Rhino rolled over, pinning young Andrew. The boy was transported to the hospital by local emergency response personnel and then life-flighted to Madison, Wis., where he passed away. His father suffered a broken leg in the accident.

The family, no doubt, suffers a broken heart.

Sadly, this is just the latest in a series of tragic events associated with the Yamaha Rhino, which is suspected of design flaws that make the vehicle fundamentally unstable. While the details of the Wisconsin accident have not been released, information on the company’s web site, www.yamaha-motor.com and in the Yamaha Rhino Owner’s Manual acknowledges that “abrupt maneuvers or aggressive driving have caused rollovers – even on flat, open areas.”

Our thoughts and prayers go out to this family.

Please, please use extreme caution if you own and operate a vehicle of this nature, and do not allow very young children to ride with you. Parents are certainly going to be careful when navigating a Rhino with a child aboard, but experience has shown that even the most cautious operator can find himself in the midst of sudden tragedy when an unstable vehicle rolls over and helpless passengers are thrown.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › child killed in Rhino rollover

Fortunately, the girls were not hurt, but Uncle D ended up with a compound fracture in his arm and shoulder, with bones breaking the skin and a lot of blood loss. A family friend, the father of one of the girls thrown clear in the accident, is an EMT, and was able to free Uncle D from under the Rhino, where he had been pinned, and stabilize him until he could be transported to the emergency room. He underwent surgery, where he had rods and pins inserted to hold the bones, and a week’s stay in the hospital.

What should have been a weekend full of family fun, barbecue and camping turned into a near tragedy and serious injury. Too many people are still unaware of the dangers of ATVs, and, in particular, the Yamaha Rhino, which is believed to have a design defect that makes it more liable than most to roll over, even on flat ground.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Family 4th marred by rollover

Ryan was only 10 years old at the time of the accident, which occurred about 14 months ago. Albert is still recovering from his injuries, which included a broken tibia, fractures, broken bones and infection. He is on crutches and has undergone several operations. The full story is in the Press Republican, which serves northeastern New York.

This incident has a relatively happy outcome, in that Ryan was able to save his father, but it adds to a growing list of serious injuries and deaths resulting from accidents involving the Yamaha Rhino. The Rhino has been in production since 2003, and since that time there have been numerous instances of rollovers, which have led to allegations of a fundamental design defect in the ATV that causes it to be unstable and easy to roll.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › New York boy saves father in rollover

The paper says the Kentucky State Police report indicates Colley was riding with a 13-year-old boy on a 2008 Yamaha Rhino ATV along railroad tracks. The statement said the ATV got stuck in the gravel on the railroad tracks and Colley and the boy were trying to free the vehicle when it went into a nearby creek on top of them.

In a separate incident, Castle was a passenger on an ATV driven by a 17-year-old boy, when the ATV hit a bump in the road and overturned. The driver was taken to the hospital, and Castle died of her injuries.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATVs claim 2

Some 75 percent of the ATV accidents result in serious damage to the head or spinal cord of the accident victim. Head injuries are a major cause of serious life threatening or lifelong physical problems and ailments. Injury to the spinal cord can result in paralysis of the entire body for life.

Most of the deaths and injuries to children are the result of youngsters riding adult-size ATVs, and consumer groups say the agency needs to do more to keep kids off ATVs that are too big and too powerful for them. Consumer advocates have called on the CPSC to ban the sale of adult-size ATVs for use for children. The agency has declined to do that.

There is only a voluntary agreement in place with major ATV distributors in which they require dealers not to sell adult-size ATVs to people who might allow children to ride them. Consumer groups say few dealers abide by the rule.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Report Outlines Danger