California jury finds Yamaha not at fault for injuries in crash of Rhino off-road vehicle

Calif. jury: Yamaha not at fault in off-road crash

SANTA ANA, Calif. — A California jury says Yamaha Motor Corp. USA is not liable for injuries a man suffered when he crashed in one of the company’s off-road vehicles.

The case was the first to go to trial among more than 170 lawsuits filed in California over the company’s Rhino brand of vehicles. The cases are all being heard in Orange County Superior Court.

The plaintiff, Richard Holt, argued that defects in his 2005 Rhino 660 caused it to roll, fracturing two bones in his left leg.

Yamaha says the jury’s verdict Monday shows the vehicle’s design did not cause the crash.

Holt’s attorney did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Cypress, Calif.-based Yamaha faces about 400 other lawsuits over the Rhino in federal and state courts in Kentucky and Georgia.