Two Mississippi Families Sue Over Daughters’ Deaths in Yamaha Rhino

By Jim Greene

Published on May 10, 2010

The parents of two 11-year-old Mississippi girls killed in the rollover of a Yamaha Rhino off-road vehicle are suing the company in a Georgia court. The parents' suit claims the Rhino's design is inherently unstable, making it prone to rollover accidents.

The fatal accident occurred Oct. 18, 2008, near the town of Olive Branch, in northwest Mississippi, about 15 miles south of Memphis, Tenn. Lauren Dilworth, who lived in nearby Southaven, died on the scene. Her friend Emily Bates, of Olive Branch, died in the emergency room at Baptist Memorial Hospital, in Southaven.

Suit Filed in Yamaha Headquarters State of Georgia

The lawsuit was filed by Thomas and Aundria Dilworth and Richard and Melissa Bates in Georgia State Court of Gwinnett County, located in Lawrenceville. Yamaha Motors Manufacturing Company is headquartered in Newnan, Ga., in Coweta County.

According to the lawsuit, the rollover occurred as the Yamaha Rhino, which resembles a heavy-duty golf cart with a roll cage, was being steered back onto a paved road from which it had briefly wandered. The girls died of multiple head and torso injuries. Neither was wearing a safety helmet or using safety belts.

Plaintiffs in many of more than 700 personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits claim the Rhino is too tall and narrow, making it top-heavy and easy to roll over. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) has received reports of nearly 50 deaths in Rhino accidents, most due to the vehicle tipping or rolling over.

Yamaha Offered Free Changes in Attempt to Improve Safety

In cooperation with the CPSC, Yamaha offered free modifications to all Rhinos sold, in an effort to improve stability, handling, and occupant safety. In the program, spacers were placed on the rear wheels to extend the rear wheelbase by four inches, a rear sway bar was removed, and half-doors were added to keep occupants' legs from swinging out and being injured in an accident.

If you or someone you know has been injured or lost a loved one in a Yamaha Rhino rollover accident or other mishap, contact an experienced product liability attorney. You may be eligible for financial compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and loss of companionship.

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