Arctic Cat off-highway recreational vehicle, you should look into legal action. Our team of expert lawyers at Normandie Law Firm will be able to secure you the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Arctic Cat Vehicle Recalls
There have been a number of Arctic Cat vehicles recalled by Textron due to fire hazards. These vehicles pose dangers to anyone riding them, no matter the environment. A fire can be devastating in the woods, in the forest, in expansive backyards, and anywhere there is brush and trees. A few of the vehicles that have been recalled can be found below:
- Arctic Cat snowmobile models M8000, XF8000, ZR8000, and Norseman X8000 manufactured from 2017 through 2019, sold in dealers nationwide for up to $18,000. 9000 units were listed as having an exhaust that could flame from beneath the muffler outlet and melt the plastic on the snowmobile, or burn anything near it. There have been over 70 reports of burns and melting.
- Arctic Cat Wildcat Trail SE (Special Edition) and Wildcat Sport SE ROVs manufactured in 2017, of which 300 were made with original winch solenoid equipment. The winches, located underneath the operator seat, could fail and overheat, which could lead to fires. 3000 winch kits were also recalled if not installed directly onto the vehicles as original equipment. There have been nearly 50 reports of the winches failing with 5 fires breaking out from the defects. The ROVs were sold from February 2017 to August 2017 for up to $17,000, while the winch kits were separately sold from December 2014 to August 2017 for up to $600.
- Arctic Cat’s 2014-2017 Wildcat Trail models and 2015-2017 Wildcat Sport models were recalled in 2017 because of the exhaust heat potentially melting the panels of the ROV. Around 14,000 of the units were sold for between $10,000 and $19,500 for 4 years between 2013 and 2017. There were nearly 450 reports of melted plastic panels with 5 accompanying fires.
- Arctic Cat Havoc ROVs manufactured in 2018 and 2019 were recalled for having fuel line leaks that could trigger fires. 200 of the units were recalled. They were sold for between $14,000 and $18,000. Fortunately, no injuries were reported from the fires.
The primary remedy for all of these issues across all recalled Arctic Cat models is to send the vehicle back in for repair. Arctic Cat has contacted numerous consumers and customers and alerted them to the recall and offered to fix the issues free of charge. However, there is no guarantee that the repair will work, nor is there a guarantee that there are not other issues with the vehicles that are unnoticed. Given the large number of recalls that Arctic Cat and Textron have issued, it would not be a surprise for your vehicle to come back and suffer another incident from yet another defect.
If your Arctic Cat ROV had a defect and caused injuries in an accident, you should take appropriate legal action.
Injuries from ROV Accidents
Off-highway vehicles can be dangerous if you do not have appropriate training or if you do not have functioning vehicles. The defects can contribute to accidents in various ways. Fire hazards are especially dangerous because they can cause incidents beyond the crash of a vehicle. For example, if a fuel line is leaky, a simple crash could ignite the leaking fuel and cause an explosion. This could also cause nearby bushes and fields to catch fire.
You should take care to always properly and carefully drive ROVs, as negligent or reckless driving can contribute to accidents and make malfunctions even more dangerous. Common causes of ROV accidents besides defects include speeding, riding while drunk, riding with no lights on, attempting jumps and tricks, riding in troublesome areas or on tough terrain, riding on paved roads, and more.
Some of the injuries that you could suffer from off-highway vehicle crashes include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Concussions
- Broken bones
- Fractures
- Sprains
- Dislocations
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
- Burns
- Knee and hip injuries
- Neck damages
- Spinal cord injuries
- Herniated or bulging discs
- Nerve damage
- Torn muscles
- CRPS
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Partial and total paralysis
- Coma
- Death
Some injuries can be worsened with defects. For example, a crash may not result in extensive injuries, but if the ROV catches fire due to a malfunction, you could also suffer severe second or third degree burns. These additional damages can be blamed on the negligent manufacturing by the company, and could be the grounds used to net you compensation.
Filing a Product Liability Lawsuit against Arctic Cat
In order to file a product liability lawsuit, you must show that the company either had a design flaw with the product, made a manufacturing error with the product, or did not have any warnings or hazard signs present on the product or its packaging.
Further, if you intend to file a product liability lawsuit against Arctic Cat, you should have ample evidence and proof of the damages and cause of the incident. The main reason that many people do not succeed with their claims is a total lack of evidence. The more proof you have, the more solid your claim will be and the harder it will be for the insurance agent to deny your request. If you follow these steps, you will have the best chance of success with your product liability lawsuit against Arctic Cat.
First, you should go to the doctor to get treated for your injuries. You should also hold on to any medical receipts and doctor’s notes from this visit. It will be beneficial if you have photos of the injuries you suffered, as well. The more proof you have of physical damages, the more likely it will be that you will win. The insurance agent won’t be able to claim that you were injured in another incident. This is also why you should get medical attention as quickly as you can after the incident.
Next, you should take photos of the vehicle and the defect, the damage it causes, the area or scene of the incident, and more. If you have the ability to get video footage, such as GoPro videos from other riders, you should acquire it.
It will be in your best interest to also get eyewitness statements and bystander testimonies to support your claim. Additional perspectives and support will benefit your claim.
You should not return the vehicle to Arctic Cat for a repair or a refund. It is your most important piece of evidence, and you should hold on to it at all costs. Similarly, you should not try to fix or repair the vehicle yourself. You will likely void the warranty, and worse, you will provide the insurance company with an out to deny your claim. They can say that the defect was likely caused by you tampering with the vehicle and it was not present beforehand.
You should also hold on or make copies of all receipts, bank statements, and proof of purchases from the dealership or from whatever company you bought the vehicles from.
Lastly, it is in your best interest to contact a skilled attorney who has experience in Arctic Cat injury lawsuits. You may not have any legal experience yourself, which could spell disaster for your claim. You may get ignored by the insurance aent or not be able to show proof of your injuries. Our lawyers will assemble your evidence, submit the demand letter, and negotiate a fair deal for you.
Compensation from a Product Liability Claim
If you were hurt in an accident involving a defective Arctic Cat vehicle, you may be bale to receive various forms of compensation from the insurance company. We will strive to win you the following damages:
- Medical expenses from the past and future
- Lost income from the past and future
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
You should be given fair restitution if you were hurt in an incident that was caused by the defective vehicle. If you were not responsible for the accident or your injuries, Arctic Cat should pay off the debts.
Why Select Us
Normandie Law Firm is one of the premier law groups in town. We have years of experience handling product liability lawsuits and have recovered millions of dollars for our clients. We know the best tactics to win your case and will stop at nothing to succeed. Our aggressive attorneys are willing to go before a judge and jury in court to defend your rights and win your compensation.
Call our lawyers today to organize a free legal consultation to discuss your claim. We will tell you about the legal process and what your claim might be worth. We also encourage you to ask us any questions you want to learn more. If you want to hire us, we will give you our zero fee guarantee, which prevents you from paying any money for our services. We will get paid if we win your case, and the money will come from the insurance company. If we lose, we receive nothing.
Start your Arctic Cat ROV defect lawsuit today with the help of Normandie Law Firm.
