W. Va. Lawsuit Asks $100,000 for Injuries in Yamaha Rhino Rollover
By Jim Greene
Published on April 07, 2010
A West Virginia man recently filed a $100,000 personal injury lawsuit against Yamaha Motor Corporation, claiming the company was negligent is producing and selling the Rhino off-road vehicle he says seriously injured his leg in a rollover accident.
Christopher Seabolt's attorney filed the lawsuit March 2 in Kanawha Circuit Court in the plaintiff's hometown of Charleston, W.Va. The rollover accident that is the subject of the suit occurred May 8, 2008.
Suit Claims Safe Operation At Time of Rollover
According to the suit, Seabolt's Yamaha Rhino rolled over while being driven on a flat surface at low speed. Seabolt is said to have been in the passenger seat when the overturned vehicle seriously injured his right leg.
The Rhino suffers from defective and unreasonably dangerous design, according to Seabolt's suit, and Yamaha was negligent in selling him the vehicle without adequately warning him of its potential danger.
Plaintiffs in numerous lawsuits concerning Rhino rollover and other accidents say the vehicle is too tall and narrow for safe operation. At the insistence of the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, Yamaha has made production changes to the Rhino, in an effort to make it less top-heavy. Without admitting defective design, the company has also offered to make the same changes to vehicles already sold, at no cost to the owners.
Yamaha Has Widened Rear Track and Removed Sway Bar
Design changes include widening the rear track by four inches and removing a sway bar that was meant to improve handling. Half doors have also been added to keep legs inside the vehicle in the event of tipping or rolling over.
Seabolt's lawsuit claims he suffered physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, permanent physical impairment, permanent disfigurement, medical expenses, loss of past and future wages and benefits, and loss of capacity to enjoy life.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a rollover accident involving a Yamaha Rhino or other off-road vehicle, contact an experienced defective product/personal injury attorney. You may be eligible for financial compensation to help you deal with your medical expenses, financial loss, and pain and suffering.
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