At Stephenson Rife, we understand that product liability cases can be serious and require the utmost care. This is especially true for those who have been injured by a defective UTV, side-by-side, or other off-road vehicle. 

If you’ve been searching for a side-by-side injury attorney in Shelbyville, Indiana, or the surrounding areas, read on to learn about all we can provide or contact us today to get started.

Common Defects of UTVs, Side-by-Sides, and Off-Road Vehicles

As your off-road vehicle defect lawyer, we believe it’s important to provide you with some of the known faults found in UTVs and side-by-sides, which can cause the equipment to be recalled due to malfunction and the threat of injury. Common defects include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Fire hazards – Components on some UTVs and side-by-sides have been known to overheat, leak fuel, and feature inadequate heat shielding. This creates serious fire hazards, which in some cases lead to burn injuries. 

• Steering and throttle problems – When the throttle is defective, a UTV or side-by-side can begin accelerating unexpectedly, posing serious dangers. Additionally, failures with the steering components can result in the total loss of control of the vehicle. 

• Brake failures – Brake system failures, leading to the sudden and complete loss of stopping power, have resulted in recalls across the off-road vehicle industry, so owners should be careful and ensure their vehicles are checked and serviced.

Stephenson Rife’s Experience with Side-by-Side and UTV Cases

The team at Stephenson Rife has extensive knowledge of off-road vehicle defect lawsuits. For example, we represented a client who was severely burned when the vehicle she was riding slowly tipped over onto the passenger side during a low-speed turn. The rollover was minor, and both the client and driver were initially uninjured. Seconds after rolling, however, the client could smell gasoline, and a fire erupted. The client was pulled from the vehicle but suffered terrible burn injuries. 

Once we were contacted to assess the case, our Indiana rollover accident attorneys were able to show that gasoline escaped from the fuel system through a defective fuel pump, allowing gasoline fumes to escape during a rollover event and ignite. The case settled for a confidential amount. 

A Common Misconception of Off-Road Vehicle Defect Lawsuits

A major misconception people have is that all that must be proven in a product liability claim is that the person was injured while riding in a UTV or side-by-side. Unfortunately, merely showing that an injury occurred while using or riding in the vehicle is not enough. It must be proven that there was a defect with the vehicle and that the defect was the cause of the injury. 

What to Do After a UTV or Side-by-Side Accident

Involved in a UTV or side-by-side accident? If so, take these steps to preserve the integrity of your case: 

• Do not post to social media about the incident
• Preserve the vehicle in the exact state it was in after the incident occurred 
• Contact a UTV rollover accident lawyer in Indiana as soon as possible 

The UTV Accident Lawyers Shelbyville and Greater Indianapolis Residents Trust

When searching for the right UTV or side-by-side accident lawyer to take on your case, it’s important to know that not every injury lawyer is competent and experienced enough to handle product liability cases.

The manufacturer of the product knows the product better than anyone, and it takes a substantial amount of time and effort to craft specific requests for relevant documents and other evidence that can help point to not only the defect that caused the injury, but also the manufacturer’s prior knowledge of the defect.

When working on an off-road vehicle defect lawsuit for a Greater Indianapolis client, we take the time to not only learn about the product but to relentlessly dig into the manufacturer’s documents and other evidence to determine what exactly went wrong. From there, we work alongside you to ensure that your needs are met during each step of the litigation process.

Reach Out to Our Team Today

If you or a loved one has been personally affected by a defective off-road vehicle, know that you may be entitled to compensation. Please contact our passionate team of side-by-side fire injury attorneys for more information, as we look forward to assisting with your case.