The Yamaha Rhino’s defective design has been blamed for numerous injuries and/or deaths. Injured consumers don’t have to go the road alone. An attorney whose practice focuses in this area of the law may be able to help. Cole Portis, an Alabama attorney whose firm represents those who have been injured by the Yamaha Rhino, explained how an attorney can help and what claims are currently being pursued in connection with Rhino litigation:

Why should an injured Rhino consumer contact an attorney?

Number one, there’s a proven history that the Rhino is defective and that it is unreasonably dangerous. One of the reasons I became involved in this litigation is to make a difference. My hope and prayer is that Yamaha will change the design of this vehicle.

The way to do that is for the people who have been injured and suffered harm to come forward. From a cost perspective, Yamaha won’t consider changing the Rhino design if it doesn’t know the true number of injuries and deaths that are occurring. If folks don’t take any action to hold Yamaha accountable, then Yamaha will just keep on doing business as usual.

Second, anyone who has suffered a traumatic injury is entitled to receive compensation under the law.

Are strict liability claims being pursued in these cases?

They are. Obviously, product liability laws in each state that relate to strict liability are different. In Alabama, for instance, some defenses that are available here may not be available in other states. So, under strict liability in some states, if we prove that the product is defective and unreasonably dangerous, then they’re strictly liable to the harm that they caused.

It doesn’t matter what the driver did. It doesn’t matter what the passenger did. Yamaha is strictly liable because the Rhino is defective, unreasonably dangerous and it caused this injury.

We typically plead both strict liability and negligence claims as a part of the lawsuit that we file. We also plead what is called ‘wantonness’, where Yamaha should have known that the Rhino was defective and it should have made changes to the design of the vehicle so that people would not be injured. It was just a matter of time before someone was going to be injured and Yamaha knew that. As a result, such conduct is wanton.

If you’ve been injured due to the Yamaha Rhino, contact an attorney whose practice focuses in this area of the law. Consultations with a qualified attorney are strictly confidential, free and without obligation. To contact an attorney about your situation, please click here. We may be able to help.