Yamaha ATV Personal Injury Lawsuit Settled for $317,000

Lawrenceville, GA: An important personal injury law victory has been reached for one out of hundreds of lawsuits filed against Yamaha and its Rhino utility-terrain vehicle (UTV) for safety problems. This is the first successful litigation against Yamaha in connection with the Rhino UTV and its safety problems.

Roger and Glenda McTaggart were the Plaintiffs in this case. The couple filed suit for the personal injury of Roger, who sustained a crushed left leg during a low-speed rollover event. Although Mr. McTaggart was operating at a low speed on a relatively flat and grassy area, the vehicle tipped during a right turn, falling onto the driver's side and trapping Mr. Taggart's leg under the UTV. His injuries were both serious and permanent.

A Gwinnett County jury awarded $317,000 to Mr. McTaggart and his wife to cover past and future medical expenses that were a direct result of the incident, Mr. McTaggart's pain and suffering loss of consortium damages to Mrs. McTaggart. This is the first successful jury verdict against Yamaha and the Rhino 660.

The jury found that Yamaha's Rhino design was defective and that the company was negligent, resulting in the first Plaintiff verdict against Yamaha in connection to the Rhino UTV. Given the hundreds of pending cases in the State Court of Gwinnett County, Georgia, the Superior Court of Orange County, California, and in Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) - a proceeding involving Federal Court Plaintiffs from multiple jurisdictions - the verdict will have far-reaching implications. On October 18, 2010, the first of the MDL cases is scheduled for hearing. In addition, a trial is currently under way in the consolidated Orange County, California cases.

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Published on Jun-1-10