Lawsuit alleges Polaris knew, or should have known, about a serious design defect in multiple models of its off-road vehicles that poses a serious fire hazard and risk of injury to consumers
MINNEAPOLIS, April 5, 2018 – A nationwide class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of named Plaintiffs James Bruner, Michael Zeeck and Ed Beattie, individually and on behalf of the other members of the class, against off-road vehicle manufacturer and distributors Polaris Industries, Inc. and Polaris Sales Inc. The lawsuit alleges Polaris has sold multiple models in its Ranger and RZR lines that suffer from a design defect that creates a significant and unreasonable risk of the vehicles overheating and catching fire. This defect has resulted in more than 250 fires, more than 30 severe injuries and at least three deaths. The Plaintiffs are represented by Adam Levitt, a partner of DiCello Levitt and Casey and W. Daniel “Dee” Miles, III, who is head of the Consumer Fraud Section at Beasley Allen Law Firm.
“Since at least 2011, Polaris has prioritized performance, style and cost savings over safety and in so doing produced over 400,000 recreational off-road vehicles (ROVs) that can overheat and catch fire,” Miles said. “Polaris has yet to offer owners an effective fix, so we filed to help bring about that change. ”
Levitt adds, “Polaris has continued selling Ranger and RZR off-road vehicles with ProStar engines, despite knowing that they suffer from an acute risk of catching fire. Our lawsuit hopes to force Polaris to seriously confront this issue and to start putting its customers’ safety above corporate profits.”
Class vehicles include the 2011-2014 RZR XP 900 series, 2012-2018 RZR 570 series, 2014-2018 RZR XP 1000 series, 2015-2018 RZR 900 and S 900 series, 2016-2018 RZR XP Turbo series, 2016-2018 General 1000 series, 2014-2018 Ranger XP 900 series, 2017-2018 Ranger XP 1000, 2014-2018 Ranger Crew XP 900, 2014-2018 Ranger 570 series, 2014-2018 Ranger 570 Crew series, and 2017-2018 Ranger 500.
According to the complaint, the class vehicles contain a design defect in which the vehicles’ high-powered “ProStar” engine is located directly behind the occupant compartment, without proper ventilation and heat shielding. Because it is located within inches of combustible plastic body panels and close to vehicle occupants, it poses a high risk of fire and injury to passengers.
The complaint is filed in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.
About Beasley Allen Law Firm
With offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama, Beasley Allen is comprised of more than 70 attorneys and 200 support staff. One of the largest Plaintiffs law firms in the country, Beasley Allen is a national leader in civil litigation, with verdicts and settlements in excess of $26 billion. The firm’s founder, Jere Beasley, is included in the Lawdragon Hall of Fame. Beasley Allen was one of only 12 firms in the nation named by Law360 to its Most Feared Plaintiffs Firms list in 2015, and the firm was included on the National Law Journal Midsize Law Firm Hot List and the NLJ Elite Trial Lawyers List in 2014. Three of the firm’s 2016 verdicts, involving talcum powder ovarian cancer litigation, were included in the National Law Journal Top 100 Verdicts. For more information about our firm, please visit our website at www.beasleyallen.com.
About DiCello Levitt
DiCello Levitt is a different kind of law firm – one that combines excellence in commercial litigation, class action litigation, mass tort litigation, catastrophic injury litigation, labor and employment litigation, and civil rights litigation. Practicing nationwide – and internationally – from offices in Chicago and Cleveland, we are an aggressive, attentive, and creative plaintiffs’ firm whose work speaks for itself – billions of dollars in recoveries in some of the highest-profile matters in U.S. history. Revered by clients and respected by defense counsel, our team gets results. For more information, visit www.dlcfirm.com.
Contact:
Jason Milch
312.379.9406
jmilch@baretzbrunelle.com