Follow Up to CBS News Report on Yamaha Rhino Rollovers
As we mentioned yesterday, an investigative report aired last night on CBS Evening News about Yamaha Rhino rollovers. As would be expected, Yamaha released a statement after the broadcast defending the “safety record” of the Yamaha Rhino, apparently dismissing the hundreds of deaths and serious injuries reported. Yamaha attempts to portray the CBS News report as nothing more than part of a “disingenuous publicity campaign” orchestrated by plaintiff lawyers hoping to influence jurors in upcoming trials.
>>PRIOR POST (8/4/2009): Yamaha Rhino Safety Problems:
Coverage on CBS Evening News
Here is the video of the Yamaha Rhino segment that aired on CBS News on Tuesday, August 4, 2009:
The CBS investigative report went through evidence that demonstrates just how unstable and dangerous the Yamaha Rhino ATV is. Video footage showed vehicle after vehicle tipping over, and while many involved people engaged in unsafe behavior, others, such as footage from a dealership where the vehicles were being moved from one place to the other, shows the vehicle tipping during a slow turn on flat and paved ground.
CBS News also reported that even the president of an American subsidiary of Yamaha, Keisuke “Casey” Yoshida, experienced a Rhino rollover accident in a prototype in 2002. Coming off a hill onto flat ground, his vehicle tipped over, injuring the foot of Ike Miyachi, president of Yamaha France, and then-vice president in charge of the vehicle’s development.
Yamaha’s response can be found on their website, www.TruthAboutRhinos.com, which was launched earlier this year in response to the growing safety concerns surrounding the ATV and reports of rider deaths and serious injuries in rollovers. They portray the information aired by CBS as “inaccurate, incomplete and false,” concluding:
Yamaha stands firmly behind the Rhino and will continue to vigorously defend the product against baseless claims and distortions, whether they be from plaintiffs’ law firms or biased, inaccurate media reports parroting these lawyers’ claims. The Rhino is a safe and useful off-road vehicle when driven responsibly by licensed operators aged 16 or older and according to the instructions and warnings in our on-product labels, owner’s manuals, and other safety materials.
Comparing the picture of the Rhino Yamaha is attempting to portray in their response statement to the commercials they aired while marketing these vehicles, it seems as though they are talking about two different vehicles. The ATV featured in the commercials is shown taking rocky, dry riverbeds, inclines and hilly terrain with ease, adding new words to the English language, like “terrainability.” However, in response to the reports of Yamaha Rhino rollovers, they explain that the incidents must have been caused by horse play, unsafe driving or adding parts and accessories to the ATV.
Rather than taking responsibility for the safety problems with the Yamaha Rhino, they are attempting to ignore the overwhelming evidence that there is something inherently unsafe about their ATV. This report was not a case of bad publicity orchestrated by plaintiffs lawyers, just ask any of the hundreds of victims who suffered devastating injuries or lost a loved one after a Yamaha Rhino accident.
YAMAHA RHINO ATTORNEYS
The attorneys at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. are reviewing potential Yamaha Rhino accident lawsuits on behalf of individuals who have been injured throughout the country. While not every rollover or injury suffered while riding in a Yamaha Rhino is caused by the vehicle’s design defect, in many cases reasonable alternative designs or safety features could have prevented catastrophic or fatal injuries.
To review a potential case for yourself, a friend or family member, request a free consultation and claim evaluation.
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