On January 30, 2020, Bobcat Company issued a recall for the Bobcat 3650 Utility Vehicles (UTVs). According to the recall, recall number 20-715, the UTVs are defective because the rear brake line in the vehicles can become punctured; this can cause the breaks to fail. Without a doubt, this hazard poses a collision and crash risk. According to the recall, approximately 522 units are affected in the U.S. The recall specifically includes the 2017-2018 model year Bobcat 3650 UTVs. The UTVs are white and black, and they have orange decals. “Bobcat” can be found printed on the hood of the UTV while “3650” can be found printed on the vehicle’s rear box. Each vehicle identification number (VIN) which can be found on a label attached to the UTVs frame under the passenger seat and storage bin.
The affected 2017-year models of the 3650 UTVs have a VIN range of 17001 through 17308. The affected 2018-year models of the 3650 UTVs have a VIN range of 18001 through 18344. The defective UTVs were sold from May 2016 to February 2019 at Bobcat dealers nationwide; they were sold for prices ranging from $24,000 and $29,000. According to the recall, there have been no incident or injuries reported. The company is urging all affected consumers to stop using the recalled UTVs and contact a Bobcat dealer for a free inspection and free repair. The company is notifying all Bobcat dealers and contacting the affected owners (those who are registered owners) directly. Although the recall claims that no incidents or injuries have been reported, it is possible that there have been many unreported incidents. If you believe that you or a member of your family suffered any type of harm associated with the defective UTVs, do not hesitate to consider your legal options.
If the harm that you or a member of your family suffered was caused by a defect in the Bobcat UTVs, you might have grounds to take legal action against Bobcat Company. Depending on the details surrounding the incident and the harm that you suffered, you might have grounds to pursue a product liability claim. The product liability lawyers at Normandie Law Firm are ready to represent you. Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm experienced in product liability cases arising from defective products. Our product liability lawyers are committed to holding companies liable and leading injured consumers towards the recovery of compensation. Our lawyers are ready to evaluate your claim and guide you towards a positive claim outcome. If you would like to discuss your claim with our experts, do not hesitate to contact our firm immediately.
Understanding the Danger of the Defect
As explained above, the brake lines on the Bobcat 3650 UTVs can become punctured and can result in brake failure. Without functioning brakes, crashes and collisions are inevitable. Crashes and collisions are always a possibility in motorized vehicles; the possibly of crashes and collisions significantly increases with faulty brakes. If a crash or collision occurs, the occupants of the UTV could suffer a number of injuries, including but not limited to the following:
- Head injuries
- Brain injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Nerve injuries
- Muscle damage
- Organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Sprains and strains
- Lacerations
- Scrapes and bruising
Depending on the severity of the accident, victims could suffer mild to moderate injuries – or they could suffer fatal injuries. Regardless of the specific harm that you or a member of your family suffered, the harm could have been avoided if the defect was never present in the UTV. If you believe that the harm caused by your UTV crash or collision was a result of the defective Bobcat 3650 UTV, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm immediately.
About Product Liability
What is product liability? Based on product liability, companies have a duty towards their consumers. They have the duty to ensure that all their products are completely free of any hazards that could harm their consumers. Because of this duty that is owed to consumers, companies must identify and address the hazards present in their products; if they fail to do so, they are guilty of breaching their duty of care towards consumers. A breached duty of care (i.e. releasing defective products to consumers) can lead to incidents that could harm innocent consumers. As soon as the harm that consumers suffer is connected to a breached duty of care (defective products), companies could be held accountable. That is, companies negligently made defective products available for purchase and contributed to the harm that their consumers suffered.
You Could Sue
If you or a member of your family suffered harm because of a defective product, do you have the right to pursue a claim? Yes; you have the right to file a claim. Your right to take legal action is based on product liability. As explained above, companies that negligently release defective products and contribute to the harm that their consumers suffer can be held accountable – they can be sued. For more information about your right to sue, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our law firm at your earliest convenience.
You Could Recover Compensation
Given that you make the decision to pursue a product liability claim, you might be interested in learning more about the specific compensation that you might be eligible to receive. If your claim reaches a successful outcome, you could be awarded. The specific type and amount of compensation that you could receive will depend on the details of your claim.
The compensation available for recovery could include the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral and burial costs
- Punitive damages
If you would like to learn more about the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to recover if your product liability claim against Bobcat Company reaches a successful outcome, do not hesitate to contact our law firm today. Our knowledgeable product liability lawyers are ready to help you recover the highest amount of compensation available for recovery. For more information about what you could be awarded, contact our experts – our lawyers are ready to aggressively fight for your right to recover compensation.
What Should You Do?
If you were injured or a member of your family lost his or her life because of the defective UTVs, you – undeniably – have the right to take legal action. However, to preserve your right to sue, there are a number of things that you should do. Taking the appropriate action after being harmed by a defective product is essential to successfully filing a claim.
What should you do? Consider the following recommendations:
- Seek medical attention immediately
- Take photos of all injuries suffered
- Take photos of the scene of the accident
- Take photos of the defective product
- Keep the defective product in a safe place where it could remain as-is (such as a garage, for example)
- Do not tamper with the defective product in any way (do not try to repair it yourself)
- Contact the company to report the incident and harm suffered
- Do not agree to a free repair
- Do not agree to return the UTV to the dealer/company
- Do not agree to a free replacement
- Do not agree to a refund or voucher (or another monetary offer)
- Gather all records associated with the purchase of the product
- Gather all records associated with the medical care required after the incident
- Gather all records associated with lost income (if applicable)
- Speak to witnesses (if available)
- Seek the expertise of a product liability lawyer immediately
By following these recommendations, affected parties are essentially gathering the tools necessary to prepare to take legal action. Unfortunately, far too many victims and other affected parties never take the appropriate actions (or take the incorrect actions) and significantly reduce their possibility of successfully filing a claim. If you would like to learn more about the importance of each of the steps listed above, do not hesitate to contact our law firm immediately.
You Should File on Time
Although you have the right to file a claim based on product liability, you can actually lose your right to sue under certain circumstances. Specifically, you could lose your right to file a claim if your fail to pursue your claim within an appropriate length of time. All claims are subject to strict deadlines established by statutes of limitations; product liability claims are not exceptions to this rule. A statue of limitations establishes the exact length of time that claimants have to file their claims; if claims are not filed on time, the right to sue will be lost. In California, product liability claims – and personal injury claims, in general – are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. This statute gives claimants only two years to file their claims. The statute of limitations establishes a strict deadline; however, certain exceptions could apply, leading to the tolling of these deadlines. All exceptions are based on the details surrounding your claim. To ensure that you have a thorough understanding of the statute of limitations that applies to your claim as well as the exceptions that might apply to your claim, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our law firm immediately.
Contact Normandie Law Firm Today
If you or a member of your family suffered harm associated with the recently recalled Bobcat 3650 UTVs, you might have grounds to sue Bobcat Company for all the harm suffered. It is important that you seek legal assistance immediately to learn more about your right to pursue a claim. If you are interested in filing a claim, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at Normandie Law Firm at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers have many years of experience handling all types of claims and aggressively fighting for the rights of victimized consumers. At our firm, we are dedicated to representing victims and their families; we are dedicated to remaining accessible to all parties who might be interested in taking legal action. Because of that, we offer free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions, address all your concerns, and provide you with all the guidance that you might need to pursue your claim. Whether you are interested in starting or continuing your claim, you can trust our experts to lead you through the legal process. Our firm offers a Zero-Fee guarantee that ensures that our clients never even have to think about paying any upfront fees for our legal services. Our firm is also based on contingency; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay any legal expenses until after achieving a successful claim outcome.
If you are ready to discuss your product liability claim with our experts, contact Normandie Law Firm today.
