Webb
Yamaha Rhino 660
Yamaha Rhino 450
CHARLESTON - A Charleston attorney already has received responses to an offer of free evaluation for people whose lives were affected by Yamaha Rhino utility vehicle accidents.
Rusty Webb of The Webb Law Firm said he saw a need for personal injury evaluations for those affected by the Rhino 660 and Rhino 450 utility vehicle accidents, which has caused many serious injuries and some fatalities.
Webb claims a manufacturer's defect has caused the Rhino to have rollover accidents that occur during turns, even when the UTV is on a flat surface and traveling at a low speed.
"This is different than your run-of-the-mill ATV wreck," Webb said, concerning the Rhino accidents. "It's not someone who has killed himself because he's going 100 miles per hour in the dark. This is a manufacturer's defect."
Webb compared the defect to cases across the country in the 1980s when the Ford Bronco II was blamed for causing several serious accidents because it was too tall to make turns safely.
According to a Web site with the history of the Bronco II, Ford faced more than $742 million in lawsuit claims filed on behalf of those injured or killed in Bronco IIs. Those claims represent just 13 lawsuits.
According to a news release from Webb's office, the Rhino is top heavy and has narrow tires, which make it more likely to tip and rollover while going through a turn.
Webb claims the makers of the Rhino are aware of its dangerous defects and have delayed taking any action to make the Rhino safer, or warn its customers of the danger posed.
Webb said he will file individual torts for any families he believes could benefit from the lawsuit. He has not placed a time limit on when he will stop accepting applicants for evaluations.