The Georgia State Court jury awarded the plaintiff $371,002 to compensate for pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, lost future wages, and loss of consortium. The case is one of dozens of other such cases filed against Yamaha in Gwinnett County, Georgia, where the company’s registered agent for the United States is located.

According to the complaint, the victim brought his Rhino to a stop and then began moving the vehicle forward as he turned the steering wheel right, “and the Rhino tipped onto the driver’s side, trapping his leg under the vehicle.” The weight of the vehicle crushed the plaintiff’s leg, shredding his skin while smashing and exposing his bone.

The case was considered a pivotal one in the legal community because it tested the viability of several other lawsuits filed against Yamaha in the same county. The jury’s verdict indicates that plaintiffs with cases involving similar or worse injuries will likely receive compensation, especially those cases filed in Gwinnett County.

The trial lasted two weeks and the jury deliberated for 10 hours before reaching its verdict. According to some reports, one of the jury’s biggest concerns was that Yamaha never tested its Rhinos for “occupant containment.” Had the company conducted such tests, it would have seen the problem, the jury believed. Almost all serious injuries on Yamaha Rhinos occur during rollovers when the limbs of the vehicle’s occupants protrude from the vehicle.

Drivers and passengers experience a higher rate of injury and death in Rhinos than in other recreational off-road vehicles (ROVs) and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). Consumer and safety advocates assert Rhinos are dangerous because of their design flaws, including a narrow, top-heavy stance that makes the vehicle prone to roll over, even while when traveling across even surfaces at a low rate of speed.

Yamaha issued a statement after the verdict, saying that the company “is disappointed by the jury’s decision to find for the plaintiff in this case and will pursue all appropriate legal remedies, including possible appeal.”

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Plaintiff wins landmark case in Georgia for Yamaha Rhino injuries

As the prime ATV riding season kicks into gear, so does the increase in deaths. Just last month, CPSC staff was aware through media reports of at least 40 fatalities between April 1st and April 30th, including 12 involving children younger than 16 years of age.

CPSC data indicates that ATV-related deaths jump on average 30 percent from March to April for children younger than 16 years of age. Adult deaths increase 88 percent on average for the same timeframe. During 2003-2005, ATV-related deaths rose each month during the spring and into the summer, peaking in July, when 23 children and 76 adults were killed in ATV-related incidents on average.

“If springtime deaths and injuries are an indication of what’s to come, we urge all ATV riders, young and old, to take all necessary safety precautions,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “Far too many people are losing their lives and sustaining life-threatening injuries, which in many cases are preventable. CPSC is working diligently to ensure that the ATVs on the market meet mandatory standards and to promote safe riding practices.”

In April 2009, as a part of the requirements for a CPSC approved action plan for ATV manufacturers and distributors, it became mandatory for these companies to offer free, hands-on training through their dealers to first-time purchasers and age appropriate members of their immediate families within a reasonable time from purchase.

Moreover, as another element of approving ATV action plans CPSC requires companies to also offer first-time purchasers an incentive valued at $100 for taking the hands-on training offered by the ATV Safety Institute (ASI). ASI also offers online training for experienced ATV riders.

Many ATV-related deaths and injuries are preventable. CPSC encourages all ATV riders, young and old, to make this riding season safer by following the basic rules of the trail:

• Take a hands-on safety training course

• Always wear protective gear – especially a helmet – when riding ATVs

• Do not ride or drive a single-rider ATV with a passenger or ride as a passenger

• Do not drive ATVs on paved roads

• Do not permit children younger than 16 to drive or ride adult ATVs. Always choose an age-appropriate ATV for your child

Recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), also known as side-by-sides, have grown in popularity in recent years, and CPSC wants riders and passengers to know that they are different from ATVs. Unlike ATVs, ROVs have a steering wheel, bench or bucket seats, seatbelts, foot controls and a roll cage. They, too, are associated with a number of fatalities and injuries every year.

Keep safety first when using both off road vehicle types. To learn more, visit ATVSafety.gov. Please download our ATV Safety PSAs at www.atvsafety.gov/pr.html

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › CPSC warns Memorial Day weekend among deadliest times for ATV riders

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

According to Troy Police, Dacin was out riding ATVs with her flight instructor Saturday night when she hit a cement pad just before 1 a.m., causing the rollover. Dacin was ejected from the vehicle and hit her head. The ATV then landed on top of her.

Dacin was taken to Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, where doctors pronounced her dead just before 2 a.m. The Oakland County Meidcal Examiner’s Office said the official cause of death was head trauma. Dacin was not wearing a helmet when the accident occurred.

Dacin’s friend, Tracy Freeland, who graduated from Utica High School with her in 2006, said that Dacin liked to ride motorcycles and had considered joining the Air Force.

“She was a wild child. She just wanted to laugh and have fun,” Freeland told the Free Press. “She wanted to fly.”

Police are currently investigating whether alcohol played a factor in the ATV crash.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 816 ATV-related fatalities occurred in 2007, the agency’s most recent annual estimate. The federal government does not include side-by-side vehicles such as the Yamaha Rhino and certain Polaris models in its ATV estimates, so the fatalities linked to all off-road vehicles would be much higher.

The Free Press report says that Dacin was driving a quad, which the driver straddles – an ATV according to government classification.

The CPSC has reported a 53 percent increase in the number of ATV deaths from 1999 to 2007. The agency also estimates that about 135,000 people were treated in emergency rooms for injuries caused by an ATV crash, compared with 81,800 in 1999 – a 65 percent increase. One-fifth of all ATV deaths involved children.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollover kills 22-year-old student pilot

The boy’s parents told authorities they did not know the boy had taken the ATV and that they began to search for him “within several minutes.” They found the boy just after 7 p.m. trapped in the water underneath the overturned vehicle. The parents administered CPR until emergency medical help arrived.

Maryland’s Office of the Chief medical Examiner has ruled the boy’s death to be an accidental drowning.

Authorities say the boy was found wearing a helmet. According to the parents, he was allowed to ride the Polaris ATV, but they told authorities the ATVs had been put away for the night.

The investigation remains open, though Police have stated that it appears no laws were broken.

Maryland law prohibits children under 12 years to operate ATVs on public land, but there are no restrictions for ATV use on private property in the state.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has evaluated the safety standards for ATVs as established by the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association and found that they do not “adequately address the deaths and injuries associated with ROV rollovers and collisions.” Inadequate lateral stability, undesirable steering characteristics, and insufficient occupant protection during rollover crashes are some of the characteristics that make the vehicles so dangerous, the CPSC says.

In a statement last October about the dangers of ATVs, Inez Tenenbaum urged parents to keep their children off of ATVs.

“I urge all riders and passengers to strap on a helmet, use the seat belt, know the terrain, and never allow anyone under 16 to drive these vehicles,” Tenenbaum said.

Polaris touts its line of child-oriented vehicles with the tagline: TOUGH ATVs FOR TOUGH KIDS

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Maryland boy drowns after ATV rollover

According to authorities, 18-year-old Taykra Murphy was driving an Arctic Cat Prowler with three children on board, ranging in age from 3 to 11 . Jones County Sheriff Alex Hodge said that Murphy lost control of the vehicle just after 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The ATV flipped onto its side and ejected the three children. According to witnesses, the occupants of the ATV were seen wearing helmets prior to the accident.

Two trucks from the Hebron Volunteer Fire & Rescue were dispatched to the scene of the accident after a 911 call was made. Also responding were two deputies and an investigator from the Jones County Sheriff’s Department; Nancy Barnett, an investigator from the Jones County District Attorney’s Office, and two ambulances.

A 3-year-old boy was found dead at the scene. Investigators believe he was killed immediately in the rollover. The other children received minor injuries and were treated on the scene.

“It is truly disheartening when accidents such as this occur,” Sheriff Hodge said. “We extend our prayers and condolences to the family of the 3-year-old and all those involved in this accident.”

Mississippi continues to rank highest among states for its number of ATV injuries and fatalities. The state’s numerous farms and enormous swaths of rural terrain make off-road vehicles extremely popular modes of transportation for both work and pleasure. Yet Mississippi lawmakers have resisted passing laws that would govern the use of ATVs, despite the concerns of safety experts and others who have seen first-hand the horrific injuries a simple ATV rollover can cause.

Because of the ATV’s popularity and the lack of state laws, ATV-related deaths and injuries are three times higher than they are in just about every other part of the country.

According to state numbers, 29 people were killed and 1,500 seriously injured in ATV accidents in Mississippi last year alone.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollover claims another child’s life in Mississippi

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

An all-terrain vehicle crash claimed the life of a 16-year-old girl from the Chinquapin community in Duplin County, North Carolina last weekend. According to NBC affiliate WITN in Washington, North Carolina, the girl was identified as Raven Kennedy, a student at East Duplin High School.

Authorities investigating the accident said Kennedy was driving the ATV on private property when it rolled over after Kennedy attempted to turn onto a dirt road. Her passenger, 20-year-old Michael Pickett, was taken to Duplin General Hospital, where he was treated and released.

In South Carolina, a 13-year-old boy died when he was riding his ATV with friends. According to Florence County Coroner Bubba Matthews, the boy, who was identified as Benjamin Byers, lost control of the ATV and was crushed when the vehicle rolled over on top of him. Byers was rushed to Lake City Hospital where he was pronounced dead just before 3 p.m. on January 11.

Near White City, Oregon, three two teenage girls were treated for injuries at a local hospital when the ATV they and another friend, also a teenage girl, flipped. Reports say that the ATV’s driver lost control of the vehicle just as she attempted to cross Highway 140 in southern Oregon just outside White City.

One of the girls of the girls was ejected when the vehicle rolled over. The other girls were trapped under the vehicle after it rolled over multiple times. All three girls survived the crash.

In Nova Scotia, Canada, a teenager died when he was ejected from the vehicle after hitting some rocks in the road. 18-year-old Alexander MacPhee of Nine Mile River was riding his ATV with two friends when the accident occurred. Halifax Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that MacPhee was wearing a helmet but that it had come off when he the rock. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

In an effort to reduce the incidence of injury and death caused by ATV accidents, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced last October that it voted to publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to address safety hazards associated with ATVs.

According to the CPSC, the agency’s preliminary evaluations found that ATVs may exhibit inadequate lateral stability, undesirable steering characteristics, and inadequate occupant protection during a rollover crash.

“The need for federal rulemaking on ROVs (recreational offroad vehicles) is the consequence of not having a voluntary standard that effectively safeguards consumers, said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum in a statement, adding that she believed her agency could play a vital role in making ATVs safer.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV accidents turned January into a tragic month for many teenagers

In Jackson County, Alabama, where at least one person was killed in an ATV accident last year, representatives of the Sheriff’s Department, Emergency Management Agency, the Scottsboro Fire Department, AirEvac, and other emergency services are in the planning stages of developing community education and training courses for ATV safety.

“ATV safety is very needed in our county,” Michael Sims, coordinator for the Jackson County Extension Office, told Jackson County’s Daily Sentinel. According to the Sentinel, Sims said that more adults and children need to be wearing helmets while riding and often they have too many have passengers riding on the vehicles.

In Pittsylvania County, Virginia, two Pittsylvania County volunteer fire departments are hosting an ATV Safety Awareness event this weekend to “provide tips on minimizing the dangers of riding an ATV,” the Danville News reports.

Proceeds from the event, which includes a yard sale and bake sale, will benefit the family of a local teen who was killed in an ATV accident in October. The money raised will help cover medical expenses and scholarships.

Tragically, in Pittsylvania County just last Friday, a 2-year-old boy fell off an ATV that his mother was driving and died. The mother and the boy’s sister were also injured when the ATV crashed. The tragedy occurred after the fire departments planned the Pittsylvania County awareness event. The timing of the incident underscores the need for more ATV safety events.

Regardless of the safety measures a driver takes, all-terrain vehicles are by their very nature dangerous vehicles that can maim or kill even the most experienced drivers and their passengers. When drivers disregard or don’t know the laws governing ATV operation (if their state has rules), or if they fail to take the most basic safety precautions, a fairly dangerous machine becomes a very deadly one.

Some ATVs, such as the Yamaha Rhino, contain design flaws that make them unreasonably dangerous. Yamaha designed the Rhino to fit in the bed of a standard pick-up truck, giving it a narrow stance that makes the vehicle prone to roll over, even when it is driven on a flat surface and at a low rate of speed. The Rhino’s propensity to roll over, combined with a lack of safety features that adequately protect passengers, has caused hundreds of serious injuries and dozens of deaths across the U.S.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Communities offer ATV safety events to mitigate off-roading dangers

Florence County coroner Bubba Matthews told WBTW that the boy likely lost control of the ATV while riding with friends. Byers was an active and athletic child who loved fishing, hunting, and playing ball. Most of all, he loved racing.

The boy’s mother, Tamara Johnson, described her son as “an awesome athlete.”

“He played county sports and school sports. He raced all over the United States. He was just an awesome kid,” Johnson told WBTW.

“He was my baby boy, my baby boy with the big smile. Everybody he met, he left an impression on,” she said.

Byers was featured on the news last month when he competed against the station’s news director in a go-kart race and won.

The boy’s death dealt a painful blow to the family, friends, school, and community that he left behind. Those who knew and loved Byers mourned his passing during funeral services held Wednesday after classes ended at Johnsonville Middle School, where he attended.

Byers’ family established a scholarship fund to preserve the boy’s memory in his community and to help others. All donations, which can be made to any Anderson Brothers Bank, will benefit a student athlete at Johnsonville Middle School.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollover kills 13-year-old South Carolina boy

Polaris says that the front suspension on the recalled vehicles can separate from the steering knuckle, which causes the driver to lose the ability to steer the vehicle and could lead to serious injury or death if not corrected. No injuries have been reported as a result of the defect.

Vehicles included in the recall are the 2009 Sportsman XP 550, 2009 Sportsman XP 550 EPS, 2010 Sportsman 550, 2010 Sportsman X2 550, 2010 Sportsman Touring 550, 2009-2010 Sportsman XP 850, 2009-2010 Sportsman XP 850 EPS, and 2010 Sportsman Touring 850.

Only vehicles with certain VIN numbers in the group are affected by the recall. The CPSC advises owners of the recalled models to locate the VIN number and manufacture date on the frame rail next to the shock on the front right side of the vehicle. Vehicle owners should then contact their local Polaris dealer to see if their VIN number is subject to the recall.

The recalled ATVs were sold by Polaris dealerships throughout the nation from February 2009 through November 2009.

The CPSC urges owners of the affected models to stop using their ATVs immediately. If the vehicle is confirmed by the dealership to be defective, the owner is entitled to a free repair.

For more information on the recall, contact Polaris toll-free at (888) 704-5290 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Mon. through Friday or visit the company’s website at www.polarisindustries.com.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Polaris recalls Sportsman ATVs for possible loss of steering

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

Investigators at the scene said that the crash was likely the result of the front left tire coming off of Case’s vehicle. The tire disengagement apparently caused Case to run the ATV headlong into a tree. Authorities said that the boy was not wearing a helmet.

Case was rushed to South Williamson Appalachian Regional Hospital in South Williamson, Kentucky, where emergency physician Brandon Haake pronounced him dead.

Case attended Belfry High School in Belfry, Kentucky. According to the school principal, who spoke with the Williamson Daily News, Case was well liked by his fellow students.

“The young man was a senior and well liked at the school. I don’t know anyone who didn’t like Andy,” Principal Rod Varney told the Daily News.

“Any time you lose a student it’s devastating to the school. It is a difficult time for everyone,” Varney told the Daily News. “Somebody lost a child, somebody lost a friend and then we all lost a student.”

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Kentucky leads the nation in the number of ATV-related fatalities. The CPSC says that 367 ATV-related deaths were reported in Kentucky in 2006 alone, and incomplete numbers for the following years show that ATV fatalities continue to escalate. Tragically, about one-third of all the reported ATV deaths in Kentucky are children.

Pennsylvania, California, West Virginia, and Texas are other states with an unusually high rate of deaths caused by ATV accidents.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Kentucky teen dies in Christmas day ATV crash

In July 2008, Gillentine-Green pronounced the deaths of 20-year-old Crystal Hooper and her 5-year-old cousin Natalie Aguilar after 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.

Mississippi remains one of the few states with almost no laws pertaining to 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.

ATV deaths have been creeping upward in the state since 1981, but the numbers suddenly spiked in 2005. From then until 2007, the last statistically current year in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s data, 65 ATV-related deaths occurred, representing more than 25 percent of all the state’s ATV-related deaths since 1981.

According to state numbers, 29 people were killed and 1,500 seriously injured in ATV accidents in Mississippi last year alone.

A bill that would have encouraged ATV safety died in Mississippi’s last legislative session, but Republican State Representative Dannie Reed plans to reintroduce a similar bill in the upcoming session. The legislation would require all ATV drivers to wear helmets while driving on public land. Drivers also would have to meet the minimum age requirement for the vehicle and the number of passengers would be restricted. Ignoring the safety laws would cost $100 per violation.

“Mississippi has lost more people on ATVs than the state has lost soldiers to the Iraq war,” Reed told the Clarion-Ledger.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Mississippi coroner supports legislation governing ATV safety

Because more than 500 lawsuits have been filed in federal courts throughout the U.S., a “bellwether” approach is being taken to manage the caseload. A group of plaintiffs will be selected to represent all of the other plaintiffs in the case. Bellwether trials are occasionally formed when large numbers of plaintiffs file suit and proceed on the same theory or claim. The verdict from these trials will be extrapolated to the other plaintiffs’ cases, and will indicate the trends in all remaining cases. The multidistrict litigation (MDL) could also lead to a settlement.

Nearly all Rhino lawsuits filed against Yamaha claim that the vehicles have design flaws and lack key safety features, both of which make the vehicles unstable, prone to roll over, and unusually dangerous. The Rhino’s narrow frame and track width and its high center of gravity have played a role in hundreds of rollovers and crashes since the vehicle’s debut in 2003. Most plaintiffs claim that the vehicles were being operated appropriately and responsibly when the accidents occurred, often on level ground and at low speed.

The first of the MDL trials is scheduled to start on October 18, 2010 and will involve a case brought by a Kentucky woman. Subsequent cases are scheduled to be heard on November 15, November 29, December 13, and January 10, 2011.

Yamaha issued a safety recall of all Rhino vehicles last spring and ordered its dealerships to stop selling all Rhino models until a series of safety upgrades could be completed on each new vehicle.

On August 27, a Texas jury cleared Yamaha in a case brought by the parents of Forrest “Eddie” Ray, a 13-year-old boy who was killed when the Rhino he was driving flipped. Although seen as a landmark trial and victory for Yamaha, the boy’s father testified that his son had been driving a modified Rhino and was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Federal Yamaha Rhino cases set for multidistrict litigation next year

While details of the accident haven’t been released, it has been reported that Tate suffered a broken jaw and facial lacerations. Tate’s face bore the brunt of the accident, but fortunately he was protected from head injuries because he wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

A high school center fielder from Cartersville, Georgia, Tate signed with the Padres on August 17 and received a $6.5 million bonus, the largest signing bonus in franchise history. He is 18 years old.

Tate, who has not played a game with the Padres yet, had been in recovery and rehabilitation after having surgery on a sports-related hernia in October. Following his ATV accident, surgeons reportedly inserted steel plate in Tate’s mouth and wired his jaw shut.

Despite all of his injuries, the Padres say that Tate will be ready for spring training. The team is likely to have had some practice in thinking positively, since 8 of their 10 top draft picks, including Tate, have suffered from injuries or had personal problems soon after the draft.

The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates 150,900 ATV-related injuries treated in emergency rooms nationwide will be recorded for the statistical year 2007 – nearly double the number of injuries reported 10 years ago. Despite occasional drops in the number of reported ATV-related injures and deaths from year to year, the overall trend since 1988 has been upward.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Top MLB draft pick Tate injured in ATV crash

According to BRP, an electrical short circuit may occur, causing the vehicle to suddenly steer left on its own and in some situations a total loss of control can occur.

The CPSC urges owners of the recalled ATVs to stop using the vehicles and contact any Can-Am dealer to schedule a free repair. BRP is mailing a direct notice to all known owners of the vehicles. Consumers may contact BRP directly by calling toll-free (888) 638-5397 between 8 a.m. and 6. p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday, or by visiting the company’s website.

BRP says that customers who wish to use their ATVs before the repairs can be made should disable the DPS by removing its electrical fuse. Instructions on how to remove the DPS fuse are included in the recall letter BRP mailed to consumers. Consumers may also take their vehicles to an authorized dealer to have the fuse removed until permanent repairs are made.

The ATVs were manufactured in Mexico and sold by authorized Can-Am dealers across the country from August 2009 through November 2009. Average retail price for the vehicles was between $6,800 and $13,500.

Specific models included in the recall are listed in the table below:

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › 2,400 ATVs recalled over potential for steering loss

According to officers from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the boy was wearing a helmet, but it was not enough to protect him from serious injury. Reports say that the boy was thrown from the vehicle and landed about 3 feet away from the ATV. He was rushed to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, where he later died as a result of massive head injuries.

ATV accidents such as this have prompted the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission to push for more regulation and ATV safety awareness, especially when children are concerned. The CPSC is currently drafting new ATV safety rules that will become mandatory for all ATVs manufactured in or shipped to the United States.

The vehicles have flown under the regulatory radar since the early 1980s, when they debuted on the U.S. market. Sales have crept steadily upward since their introduction, but have exploded in the last 2 years. An alarming rate of serious injury and death has accompanied the skyrocketing ATV sales.

To help mitigate the problem, the CPSC is also cracking down on the import of defective Chinese-made ATVs. The agency recently seized a shipment of Chinese ATVs at the port of Houston because they did not meet U.S. safety specifications.

Sadly, China has emerged as a leader in the production of cheap ATVs for children, making more than 83 percent of the vehicles sold children ages 6 to 16 years. Often, these vehicles, which can sell for as little as $250, lack even the most basic safety features, such as front brakes.

The CPSC estimates that more than 100 children are killed every year in ATV accidents and 40,000 sustain injuries serious enough to require hospitalization.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollover kills 6-year-old Oklahoma boy

The accident occurred at West Florida Motocross Park in the northern section of Walton County. The racing park normally holds up to 6 ATV races a year, drawing participants and spectators from across the South, the park’s co-owner Krystal King told the Walton Sun.

According to King, Pierce was the first fatality at the park since she and her husband purchased it about a year ago.

Witnesses said that Pierce’s ATV went airborne after topping a hill on the course, propelling the boy forward over the handlebars. After Pierce hit the ground, the vehicle crashed on top of him, splitting his helmet in half. Emergency medical workers flew the boy to North Okaloosa Medical Center in Crestview, Florida, where he died just after 1:30 p.m.

WMBB in nearby Panama City said that the accident “leaves some parents with questions about ATVs,” especially in the holiday season when many children receive ATVs as Christmas gifts.

State laws may govern what ATVs children may legally ride and where there they can ride them. After that, staying safe is mostly a matter of following safety procedures.

King told the Walton Sun that all drivers at West Florida Motocross Park must wear helmets, boots, long-sleeve shirts, and long pants. Chest protectors, knee pads, and neck braces are optional gear that many people choose to wear.

“Even with the gear it can be very dangerous,” King told the Walton Sun.

The past few days have been particularly deadly for children driving or riding on ATVs. Last weekend, ATV accidents and rollovers claimed the lives of a 5-year-old in South Carolina, a 15-year-old girl in North Carolina, and a 3-year-old boy central Wisconsin.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Mississippi teen dies in Florida ATV accident

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

Authorities said that Lyle was wearing a helmet at the time but that she suffered from internal injuries. She was rushed to Johnson City Medical Center Hospital, where she died from her injuries shortly after arriving. The Washington County Sheriff’s CRASH team is investigating the cause of the crash.

In North Carolina, authorities in the town of Hope Mills, just southwest of Fayetteville, responded to a report of an ATV crash just before 6:00 Sunday night. According to the Hope Mills Police Dept. report, the accident occurred in a wooded area within the city limits.

Authorities identified the victim of the crash was 21-year-old Heather Nicole Campbell, who had just celebrated her birthday 3 days prior to the accident.

According to reports, Campbell was driving the ATV through a wooded area off of Legion Road when she hit a tree. The ATV rolled over into a ravine, ejecting Campbell, and then landed on top of her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Source: Fayetteville Observer

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Weekend ATV accidents claim the lives of 2 young women

Reports say that 15-year-old Danny Tyler Corn was the driver of the Honda TRX300 ATV. 14-year-old Tyler Noles was a passenger. Corn was driving the ATV west along Holland Chattoogaville Road and had crossed Georgia Highway 114 onto Johnson Cemetery Road, where he lost control of the vehicle.

According to the Rome, Georgia, State Patrol, the ATV sideswiped a parked car, hit a mailbox, and then crashed into a tree head-on. Both boys were ejected from the vehicle.

The crash occurred at approximately 7:15 pm. A nearby resident said he heard a loud bang when it happened.

Responding officers called for a medical airlift. According to Chattooga County’s Summerville News, Corn was pronounced dead at the helicopter’s landing zone and was not airlifted. Noles was flown to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, where he was admitted with serious injuries and remains in stable condition.

Georgia is one of the few states that has no laws governing ATV operation or safety. The only existing rules require off-road vehicles to be equipped with brakes and a muffler and that drivers obtain permission before using the vehicles on private property.

Because ATV manufacturers have done little to enhance the safety features of their vehicles, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission announced last month that it would begin the process of regulating ATVs.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV crash kills one Georgia teen, seriously injures another

Australia prohibits manufacturers from calling their vehicles ATVs when there is no proof the vehicles can handle all types of terrain. Most of the four-wheeled open vehicles that drivers straddle like bicycles are classified as quads.

As in the United States and Canada, ATV sales have risen dramatically in Australia during the last couple of years. A report in Australia’s Farm Weekly says that nearly 15,000 quads were sold just to the country’s agricultural sector in 2008 alone.

In examining records of 107 quad deaths, ACAHS found that men are more likely to die in accidents involving the vehicles. Emily Herde, ACAHS data centre research manager, said that there is “a propensity for quad bikes to roll over and cause serious injury to riders.”

“There are 50 cases within the register that relate to the rollover of a quad bike. Of these, two were front rollovers, eight were side rollovers, nine were rear rollovers and the remaining 31 were unspecified,” Herne said.

According to Farm Weekly, “Solving the problem is proving to be very difficult, with some safety mechanisms like the U and T-shaped rollover protection systems proven to do more harm than good by Dynamic Research Inc in the U.S.”

The ACAHS reminded farmers “not to treat quad bikes as all terrain vehicles, with the industry having to change the name of the bikes from ATV to quad bikes because of proof that they cannot handle all terrains,” the Farm Weekly report said.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV accidents killing Australian farmers at an alarming rate

Seven game wardens and other authorities from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and the Ellsworth Fire Department launched a search of Seymour’s hunting grounds that evening. A state trooper spotted Seymour’s truck parked on a rural road in the town of Ellsworth, allowing the search party to narrow its search in the broad region.

Game wardens discovered Seymour pinned underneath his ATV just before midnight. He was found dead at the scene, the victim of a rollover accident.

According to the Daily News, the Maine Warden Service said that Seymour had been riding on a steep trail with a granite edge when he apparently lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over on top of him.

Alcohol was not believed to be a factor, according to the Daily News report. Seymour was not wearing a helmet, but reports do not say whether he died as a result of head injuries.

Like other states with large swaths of wilderness and several rural communities, Maine has seen a dramatic upswing in the number of ATV related deaths and injuries in recent years. The rise in the number of ATV accidents reflects a national trend that has prompted the U.S. Consumer Safety Products Commission to initiate the process of regulating all-terrain vehicles. The CPSC has stated that ATV manufacturers have failed to hold themselves to adequate safety standards, therefore creating the need for government regulation.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Maine hunter dies in ATV rollover

According to the boy’s older brother, Garret left to take out the trash and drove the ATV around a barn located about 75 yards from the family’s home. The brother went to look for Garrett after he failed to return for about half an hour. After the boy found his brother pinned underneath the overturned Polaris, he ran back to the house to tell his father what had happened.

When first responders arrived at the farm about 1 p.m., they found that the boy’s father, Christopher Malone, had lifted the ATV off of his son and was performing CPR on him.

Medics airlifted the boy to Christus St. Michael Hospital in Texarkana, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The staggering number of children who die each year in ATV-related accidents is one of the reasons propelling major changes in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s governance of off-road vehicles. Earlier this month, the CPSC announced that it had found a draft of safety standards proposed by the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA) “did not adequately address the deaths and injuries associated with ROV rollovers and collisions.”

CPSC Chairman Inez Tenebaum, a staunch child safety advocate, urged all ATV drivers and passengers “to strap on a helmet, use the seat belt, know the terrain, and never allow anyone under 16 to drive these vehicles.”

According to Concerned Families for ATV Safety, more than 40,000 children are seriously injured and killed in ATV accidents every year.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollover kills Arkansas boy

The recalled vehicles were sold by authorized dealers across the country from June 2007 through July 2009 and retailed for about $10,000. Bad Boy Enterprises has received 32 reports of unintended acceleration involving the vehicles since their appearance in the market.

According to the CPSC report, some of the incidents resulted in injuries such as “a fractured toe, rotator cuff injuries and sore muscles.” The agency advises all consumers to stop using the vehicles immediately and contact their Bad Boy Buggy dealer for a free repair.

Models included in the recall have serial numbers between 85004828 and 95010404, which are printed on a sticker in the driver’s side cubby. The Bad Boy Buggy Classic ATV is the only model included in the recall. The all-electric vehicles have an open, side-by-side design that requires occupants to sit on a bench.

Bad Boy Enterprises can be reached toll-free at (866) 678-6701 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. The company’s website is http://www.badboyenterprises.com/.

Last week, the CPSC announced that it voted to publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to confront the safety issues commonly associated with recreational off-road vehicles (ROVs).

According to the CPSC, “the ANPR invites written comments from the public regarding the risks of injury associated with ROVs and ways in which these risks could be addressed. Following publication of the ANPR, the public will have 60 days to provide comments to the Commission. Comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov.”

CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum issued a brief statement on October 21, in which she said “the need for federal rulemaking on ROVs” comes from “not having a voluntary standard that effectively safeguards consumers.”

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Bad Boy ATVs recalled after reports of unintended acceleration

The boy lost control of the ATV, which the report described as an adult-size machine with a 660-cubic-centimeter engine. He was reportedly thrown from the vehicle and the ATV rolled on top of him, lacerating his legs. Emergency workers rushed the boy to Petrolia Hospital. He was later transferred to London Health Sciences Hospital, where he was underwent surgery for his injuries.

The injured boy was accompanied by another 11-year-old boy who was riding a dirt bike when the accident occurred. Both boys were wearing helmets. The boy on the dirt bike was not injured, according to the report.

The accident came just two weeks after another Ontario boy was killed in an ATV accident just a few miles away in Lambton Shores. In that incident, 7-year-old Kaedon Brown died when the ATV he was riding rolled over onto him.

Although some restrictions governing ATV use by children already exist in Ontario, the OMA says the present laws are inadequate. The association advises that no children under 14 years old should be permitted to drive an ATV of any size within Ontario.

Children 14 to 16, the OMA proposes, should be allowed to drive only low power ATVs incapable of exceeding 30 km/hour. The OMA says the rules should apply to ATV use on both public land and private property throughout Ontario.

Alluding to advertising tactics that portray off-roading as a safe and acceptable form of recreation for children, the association also asks “that the ATV manufacturers respond to medical community concerns and voluntarily discontinue their marketing to children without waiting for legislative restrictions …”

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Ontario boy severely injured in ATV rollover

“As physicians, we are seeing far too many children with serious injuries caused by the use of ATVs,” said OMA president Dr. Suzanne Strasberg in a statement. “Ontario’s doctors firmly believe that there is nothing more important than protecting the health and safety of children in the province.”

Statistics show that in Ontario, like in other parts of the world where ATVs are popular, children ages 5 to 19 account for one-third of ATV injuries and fatalities. From 2005 to 2006, 5,584 Ontarians went to the emergency room with ATV related injuries. The number of people hospitalized with injuries sustain in ATV crashes continues to rise sharply year after year.

One reason the OMA says that children make up such a high percent of the injured is their “lack of physical and cognitive ability to operate ATVs.”

“Research demonstrates that ATVs require considerable muscle strength, as well as proficient cognitive, motor and coordination skills, and experience in making split-second judgments; generally these skills are underdeveloped or critically lacking in children,” the OMA report states.

Some restrictions governing ATV use by children already exist in Ontario, but the OMA believes the present laws are inadequate. The association proposes that no children under age 14 should be permitted to drive an ATV of any size within Ontario. Older children 14 to 16 years should be allowed to drive only low power ATVs that cannot exceed 30 km/hour. The OMA wants to see these rules go into effect on both public land and private property throughout Ontario.

The association also asks “that the ATV manufacturers respond to medical community concerns and voluntarily discontinue their marketing to children without waiting for legislative restrictions …”

To help protect against traumatic brain injury and death, the OMA wants government-approved helmets to be compulsory for ATV drivers of all ages.

The Ontario Safety League (OSL) backs the OMA’s proposal. “The risks and dangers that children face when they operate an ATV are overwhelming and can’t be ignored any longer,” said OSL President Brian Patterson. “That’s why the Ontario Safety League fully supports the OMA’s recommendations to strengthen existing ATV legislation and we hope to see swift implementation of these long overdue regulations.”

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Ontario Medical Association wants children banned from ATVs

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

Fayette County Sheriff’s officers and the Northeast Iowa Medical Transport arrived at the scene, where they found Rios had died of unspecified injuries.

Rios was a resident of West Union, a small town in northeastern corner of the state. The Daily Register described him as “an experienced outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing and ATV riding.” He leaves behind his wife Tina, his daughter Destiny, and three stepchildren.

At least 107 people died in Iowa last year in ATV rollovers and other accidents. 2009’s ATV death toll is expected to be significantly higher as the number of offroading injuries and fatalities escalates alongside their popularity. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which monitors ATV statistics in every state, Iowa had reported 112 ATV-related deaths in the entire period spanning 1982 to 2007.

ATVs are not only popular forms of recreation for outdoor enthusiasts; they are also used widely on American farms for traversing crops and other wide tracts of land and for hauling animals and equipment. Although some ATVs can reach speeds of up to 60 mph, some, such as the Yamaha Rhino, are criticized for their instability, even at low rates of speed and on flat surfaces.

When all safety precautions are followed, ATVs are still highly susceptible to accidents and should be handled with extreme caution.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Rollover kills experienced ATV driver in Iowa

“They were climbing a hill, fairly steep, and lost traction,” Berry told the Tribune. “As the vehicle began to roll backward, the 4-wheeler tipped over and fell on her,” he said.

Officers from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and state conservation officers were the first to arrive at the scene, where they found the girl unconscious. They performed CPR on the victim until the ambulance emergency medical workers arrived.

The girl was transported to Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, but doctors were unable to revive her. She was pronounced dead at 5:56 p.m., about an hour and a half after the rollover was first reported.

Officer Berry told the Tribune that the number of ATV accidents and fatalities has jumped over the summer, but that he couldn’t say what was responsible for the increase.

The number of ATV-related injuries and deaths  has grown steadily in the last 10 years all over North America, but the problem has increased dramatically in the last couple of years especially.

“Proportionately, ATVs have grown in popularity, and the more people that own them the more accidents we’re going to have,” Officer Berry told the Tribune. “This summer we have had a lot of them, it seems. It’s just been a bad year for them,” he told the paper.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollover kills six-year-old Indiana girl

Medical workers from the nearby Thomasville and Basalt communities north of Aspen were dispatched to the scene. The team called upon a medical helicopter after discovering the extent of Shepherd’s injuries. Unable to land at the scene, the helicopter landed instead at the summit of Hagerman pass where it was met by the responding medical team who had transported Shepherd by ambulance. The helicopter flew Shepherd to Denver hospital.

Shepherd’s case underscores the importance of taking every safety precaution when riding an ATV, especially in remote wilderness areas that may be difficult for emergency workers to access. Solo drivers such as Shepherd who are seriously injured in an ATV rollover or collision may go unnoticed unless they are found by chance. Police reports say that Shepherd was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

ATV accidents have climbed dramatically in recent years. The numbers are especially high in states with large swaths of wilderness and rural areas, where ATVs are used for a number of utilitarian purposes in addition to being popular for recreational use. On average, ATV accidents are responsible for approximately 700 deaths and 135,000 injuries every year.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Colorado man receives life-threatening injuries in ATV crash

According to the WKYC report, the four boys were riding the ATV in a wooded area near the Cleveland Metroparks South Chagrin Reservation when the accident occurred. Police in the nearby Solon community received a call reporting the accident around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday the 19th. When emergency workers arrived, they found student Dan Murphy, who had been driving, had died at the scene.

Daniel Loyke, also a sophomore at St. Ignatius, received serious injuries to his head and leg. He was airlifted by Life Flight to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. The other two boys were released to their parents at the scene, having received only minor injuries. All of the boys were members of their school’s rowing team.

A request for prayers appears on the St. Ignatius website. “Daniel Murphy will be remembered as a great friend, strong student, loving son and faithful brother. The Saint Ignatius High School Community is in shock and grieving tonight,” the statement reads.

“Known as ‘Murph’ by his friends and teachers, he was a quiet leader who showed his heart through his work ethic. He loved being a student at Ignatius; he was always seen in his Ignatius sportswear. Murph was an honor student.”

The family of Daniel Loyke also released a statement on Monday, published by WKYC.

“As you can only imagine, this is the most difficult time for our family. While we are grateful that our Danny only suffered relatively minor injuries, all of our thoughts and prayers go out to the Murphy family on their incredible loss.

We are grateful and overwhelmed by the support we have received from family, friends, and particularly from the Ignatius community.

We need to extend a special thank you to the Ignatius crew team and coach Matthew Previts for their ongoing support.

We also want to thank the Solon Fire Rescue personnel and the Metro LifeFlight, trauma, and surgery teams at MetroHealth for the wonderful care they have given Danny.”

WKYC reports that the students used the homecoming dance just after the accident on Saturday evening as an impromptu prayer service. Police continue to investigate the cause of the accident.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV accident claims the life of Ohio teen, seriously injures one other

“Tractors and all-terrain vehicles that can roll over. Machines with fast-moving parts that can tear off a limb. Animals that can gore, crush or bite. Chemicals that emit toxic fumes,” the article begins, underscoring the dangers that threaten Nebraska’s farmers every working day.

Dan Neenan, manager of the National Center for Agricultural Safety in Iowa, told the World-Herald that the number of agricultural injuries and fatalities could be drastically reduced if tractors were equipped with a rollover protection system and seat belts. Tractor rollovers have been the leading cause of death on Nebraska’s farms for many years.

As with tractors, rollovers are a serious problem with ATVs, especially those with narrow track widths and high centers of gravity, such as the Yamaha Rhino. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission continues to investigate reports of Rhino rollovers because so many of them appear to happen on level ground and at low speeds.

ATVs can become even more unstable when used for more utilitarian purposes, such as farming. Neenan told the World-Herald that “farmers also need to remember that attaching equipment to ATVs, such as sprayers or hay-bale racks, changes ATVs’ center of gravity and makes them unstable.”

The report notes that the number of deaths and injuries involving ATVs is increasing. In Nebraska, six people were killed in ATV accidents this year, and half of those were farming related.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollovers contribute to Nebraska farming injuries and deaths

Dr. Steven Socransky, medical director of Sudbury Regional’s Trauma Program, urged area residents to exercise every caution when riding on an ATV.

“People must recognize that ATVs are heavy, powerful machines that can be difficult to operate safely, particularly by children and young adolescents. They require strength, training, special skills and knowledge that must be learned over a period of time,” he said in a press release.

According to Sudbury Northern Life, “loss of control” is the most cited cause of ATV accidents. Driver error and negligence sometimes contribute to collisions and rollovers, as do ATV design and defects. The Yamaha Rhino, for instance, has claimed as much notoriety in the ATV world as it did fame for the abnormally high number of injuries and fatalities associated with it. Safety advocates and consumer groups assert that the Rhino’s narrow stance and lack of safety features, among other shortcomings, cause it to roll over unexpectedly on flat terrain and at low speeds. Earlier this year, the CPSC and Yamaha announced a recall of all Rhino models for a series of safety upgrades.

According to Sudbury Northern Life, the Canadian Institute of Health Information reports that “the number of ATV-related injuries severe enough to require hospitalization jumped 50 per cent in Canada between 1996 and 2001, with 36 per cent of hospitalizations occurring among children and youth.”

Moreover, “Stats Canada numbers show ATV and other off-road motor vehicles rank as the fourth most common cause of injury-related deaths among Canadian children and youth aged 5 to 19 years.”

According to Canadian government records, children are six times more likely to receive a significant injury riding an ATV than they are in a conventional motor vehicle.

The ever-growing popularity of ATVs in Canada, combined with the vehicles’ inherent dangers, amount to a serious threat to public safety in Canada. Pleas such as the one made by Sudbury Regional Hospital will likely become more common as growing numbers of people experience first hand the devastation and trauma the vehicles can cause.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV injuries skyrocketing in rural Canada

Friends of Ritter told the Gaston Gazette that he was always smiling, that he would never part with his ragged Old Navy cap, that he had an appetite for double cheeseburgers and was seldom seen without a Pepsi. He was someone we all know. To a 4-year-old girl named Lily, he was Dad.

Ritter was driving an ATV less than a mile from his home near High Shoals, N.C. on Tuesday, September 8. He attempted to pass another ATV driven by 20-year-old Jackson Depietro, resulting in a collision that caused both vehicles to wreck.

Ritter’s passenger, 15-year-old Michelle King, and Depietro received treatment at a local hospital and have since been released. Ritter was thrown from the vehicle and hit the ground, receiving a severe head injury. He was transported to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, where he died on Friday.

According to the NC Highway Patrol, none of the three were wearing helmets, required by state law unless the vehicle is being used for farming, hunting or trapping.

The Gaston Gazette reported that Ritter was a car racing enthusiast who would spend his free time at the local track and racing events. After he became a father, however, he gave up his favorite hobby to spend as much time as he could with his daughter. Rather than racing cars, Ritter became a spectator, and he would often take Lily to the speedway to watch the races.

“She loved to go out to the dirt track and watch races with him,” Ritter’s wife Hope told the Gaston Gazette.  “That was one of their hobbies.”

East Lincoln Motor Speedway, where Anthony was a regular, held a memorial for him during its weekend races. A video of the memorial can be viewed online at YouTube.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV collision claims the life of North Carolina racing enthusiast

The Rohloff twins were residents of Schaghticoke, New York, a community about 30 miles northeast of Knox, the town where 13-year-old James Wyatt Spencer lost his life in a Yamaha Rhino rollover incident on May 20.

The crash occurred near the twins’ home on a frequently used ATV path through some hilly farmland near the victims’ home. The Rohloff twins lived with their parents, Brian and Deanna Rohloff. Brian Rohloff, a successful developer, is well known throughout the area.

The Mayor of nearby Mechanicville, Anthony Sylvester, told Albany’s Times Union that the tragedy hit home. “This is every parent’s worst nightmare. And to lose two kids art once like that. Just horrible,” he said. According to the Times Union, Mayor Sylvester knew Brian Rohloff from the work he did in the city.

Classmates of the twins at Hoosic Valley High School described them as “nice kids” who were known to be ATV enthusiasts.

ATV manufacturers normally recommend that the vehicles be driven by adults only. Nonetheless, many ATV owners, young drivers and parents included, remain unaware of the vehicles’ dangers until it’s too late.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Twin brothers killed in ATV collision