On April 16, 2020, Polaris issued a recall for their 2019 and 2020 Ranger XP 1000 & CREW XP 1000 Off-Road Vehicles. According to the recall, number 20-734, the fuel lines can be misrouted above the bracket protecting the fuel line from a clutch belt failure; this represents a fire hazard to consumers. The defect affects approximately 7,000 units of the Polaris off-road vehicles.
The recall involves the 2019 and 2020 Ranger XP 1000 and Crew XP 1000 Off-Road Vehicles. The following model names (and VIN ranges) are affected by the recall:
- 2019 Ranger XP 1000 EPS (4XARRW990K8922555 – 4XARRW99XK8922563)
- 2019 Ranger CREW XP 1000 EPS (4XARSM991K8921973 – 4XARSM99XK8921972)
- 2020 Ranger XP 1000 (4XARRB990L8922436 – 4XARRW99XL8933242)
- 2020 Ranger CREW XP 1000 (4XARSB990L8923252 – 4XARSW99XL8932306)
The VIN can be found on a label that is affixed onto the vehicles’ frame (in the left front wheel well). “Polaris” is stamped on the front grille of the off-road vehicles; “Ranger” is stamped on the sides of the vehicles’ utility bed.
The defective off-road vehicles were sold at Polaris dealers nationwide for prices ranging from $15,890 to $29,000. The off-road vehicles were available from August 2019 through December 2019.
According to the recall, no injuries have been reported. Regardless, Polaris is urging affected consumers to immediately stop using the recalled off-road vehicles and contact a Polaris dealer to schedule both a free inspection and a repair. The company is notifying Polaris dealers and is also directly contacting registered owners of the recalled off-road vehicles.
Should you agree to a free inspection and to a repair? If you or a member of your family suffered harm because of the defective product, you should not simply agree to an inspection and to a repair; rather, you should explore the possibility of pursuing a claim. Based on the details surrounding the harm that you suffered, you might have grounds to pursue a product liability claim against Polaris. If you would like to learn more about your right to sue Polaris for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm as soon as possible.
Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with many years of experience handling all sorts of claims – including product liability claims filed due to the harm caused by defective products. At Normandie Law Firm, our product liability claims have many years of experience handling claims against negligent companies that contribute to the harm that consumers suffer due to defective products. At our firm, our experts are ready to evaluate your claim and provide you with all the information that you need to hold Polaris or any other company accountable for the harm suffered.
If you are interested in learning more about holding Polaris accountable for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered due to a defective product, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm at your earliest convenience.
The Danger of the Fire Hazard
As explained above, the off-road vehicles were recalled because of a fire hazard. Unsuspecting consumers could suffer severe injuries associated with the fire risk. Without a doubt, burn injuries are possible. The burn injuries that consumers could suffer can vary significantly based on the details surrounding the incident. Depending on the degree on the burn, damage to the skin, nerves, muscles, and even bones is likely. Permanent scarring, loss of sensation, and loss of function can result from burns. In addition to burn injuries, affected consumers could suffer smoke-inhalation injuries, which could include internal burns due to the inhalation of hot fumes as well as the loss of consciousness due to oxygen deprivation. Regardless of the physical harm suffered, affected consumers should explore the possibility of suing for the harm suffered.
Understanding Product Liability and the Consumer Right to Sue
Do you have the right to sue Polaris for the harm that you suffered because of their defective off-road vehicles? If the harm that you suffered can be directly attributed to a defect present in the product – such as a defect in design, labeling, or manufacturing – affected consumers might have grounds to sue based on the concept of product liability. Based on the concept of product liability, all companies owe their consumers a duty of care. Specifically, companies have the duty to ensure that their products are safe for consumers to use. When companies fail to ensure that their products are safe for consumer use, they are breaching their duty of care; they are also negligently putting consumers at risk of suffering harm. When a breached duty of care directly contributes to the harm that a consumer suffers, the company could be liable. This means that the consumers injured by defective products can sue the companies that negligently contributed to the harm that they suffered. If you would like to learn more about product liability and your right to sue, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm immediately.
What Should You Do?
If you or a member of your family suffered harm associated with a defective product, there are a number of steps that affected parties should take to ensure that they can eventually hold the liable company accountable for their negligent actions. What should you do? Consider the following recommendations:
- Take photos of all physical injuries suffered
- Take photos of the defective product
- Take photos of the scene of the accident
- Seek medical care for all harm suffered
- Stop using the defective product
- Keep the defective product in a safe place, as-is (do not tamper with it)
- Contact the company immediately to report the incident and harm suffered
- Do not agree to a free repair or replacement
- Do not agree to return the defective product
- Do not agree to a refund
- Gather all medical records
- Gather records of property damage
- Gather records of lost wages
- Speak to any witnesses present at the time of the accident
- Seek legal guidance from an experienced product liability lawyer
By following the recommended steps listed above, you are preparing to pursue a claim. That is, you are gathering the tools necessary to hold the liable company, Polaris, accountable for their negligent actions. If you would like to learn more about the importance of following the steps listed above, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our experts at your earliest convenience.
Can You Recover Compensation?
As mentioned above, you might have grounds to sue if you or a member of your family suffered any harm associated with the defective Polaris off-road vehicles. Based on the details surrounding your product liability claim, you might also have grounds to recover monetary compensation for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered. What type of compensation could you be eligible to recover? How much compensation could you be awarded? The type and amount of compensation that you could receive will always be based on the details surrounding your claim and could include some of the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral and burial costs
- Punitive damages
For more information regarding the type and amount of compensation that you could be eligible to receive upon reaching a successful claim outcome, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our experts immediately. The lawyers at our firm are ready to fight for your right to sue and recover the highest amount of compensation available for your claim. Our product liability lawyers will not rest until you recover the compensation that you are owed for the harm associated with the defective product. To learn more about the compensation that you could be eligible to receive given that your claim reaches a positive outcome, contact our lawyers at Normandie Law Firm today.
The Statute of Limitations
If you or a member of your family suffered harm associated with the recalled Polaris off-road vehicles, you might have grounds to sue. You must pursue your claim within the appropriate length of time. This is because all claims are subject to a statute of limitations – a statute of limitations determines the specific length of time that claimants have to file their claims. When claimants fail to file their claims within the time allowed by the applicable statute of limitations, they could lose their right to sue.
Without a doubt, your product liability claim is subject to a strict deadline. How long do you have to pursue your claim? In California, product liability claims are typically subject to a two-year statute of limitations – meaning that claimants will only have two years to file their claims. Although this deadline applies, it is possible for exceptions to the deadline to apply – resulting in tolled or paused deadlines. If you would like to learn more about the statute of limitations and exceptions that could apply to your claim against Polaris, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with the experts at our firm immediately.
Contact Normandie Law Firm Today
Defective off-road vehicles are among the most dangerous types of products. If you or a member of your family suffered harm associated with a defective Polaris off-road vehicle, you should consider the possibility of pursuing a product liability claim against the company. Could you really sue Polaris for the harm that resulted from their defective product? Depending on the details surrounding your claim and the harm that you suffered, you might have grounds to pursue a defective product claim.
At Normandie Law Firm, our defective product lawyers are dedicated to providing all affected consumers with the representation that they need to hold negligent companies accountable for the harm caused by defective products. Our lawyers are committed to remaining accessible to all consumers and providing all affected consumers with the information necessary to pursue a successful claim. To ensure that all affected consumers have access to the information necessary to start or continue a claim, our firm offers free legal services. Specifically, our firm offers free consultations and free second opinions. During our free consultations and free second opinions, our lawyers will be available to answer all your questions and address all your concerns – whether you need to start or redirect your claim, you can be certain that our experts are ready to provide you with the guidance that you need to hold Polaris or any other company accountable for the harm suffered. If you would like to benefit from our free legal services, do not hesitate to contact our firm as soon as possible.
As mentioned above, our experts are committed to remaining accessible to affected consumers; therefore, our firm offers a Zero-Fee guarantee. Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients will never be required to pay any upfront legal fees for any of our legal services. Our firm is also strictly based on contingency. What does this mean? Because our firm is based on contingency, our clients will not be required to pay legal expenses until after reaching a successful outcome (that is, if you do not win, you will not pay anything).
If you are ready to learn more about your right to sue Polaris for the harm that you or a member of your family suffered, do not hesitate to contact the experts at Normandie Law Firm at your earliest convenience. Our product liability lawyers are ready to guide you towards the successful outcome and recovery that you deserve.
