We handle Polaris RZR Fire Cases Nationwide
The Human Cost of Polaris RZR Fires: Real Stories
Since 2011, over 675 Polaris RZR off-highway vehicles have erupted in flames during normal operation. These aren't just statistics. Behind each fire is a person whose life was forever changed or tragically ended.
These are their stories.
The Design Defect at the Heart of It All
What causes these fires? In RZR vehicles with the new ProStar engine, an exhaust pipe has been placed just inches from key components, including a fuel line. This creates a “super-hot spot” that can degrade key components and ignite debris, leaking fuel, and plastic panels, according to Mark Arndt, a mechanical engineer who has reviewed RZR design materials. Mark has been a consultant to several plaintiffs' attorneys in Polaris litigation and has been deposed in one case.
The original RZR, the Model 800, had the exhaust header emerging from the side of the engine and vehicle, where it was exposed to cooling airflow. The ProStar engine lacks this ventilation, creating a recipe for disaster. When fires spark, drivers and passengers are often trapped in a disaster zone.
The first Model 900, with the new ProStar engine, was released on New Year's Eve in 2010. As new versions were rolled out yearly, each more powerful and faster, the number of fires, injuries, and fatalities climbed. From 2013 to 2018, Polaris issued RZR recalls ten times for fire hazards, far more than for any competing product. However, none of these recalls fixed the underlying problem.
Even as Polaris has repeatedly told customers that the vehicles are safe, the fires have continued. Many lawsuits even contend that the company sought to conceal its knowledge of defective products to protect their own interests.
Steven Groves & James Bingham:
A Fatal Fire After Recall Repairs
In 2019, James Bingham, a 42-year-old Idaho chiropractor, was driving his 2017 Turbo RZR up a low hill on a sandy trail when his friend, Steven Groves, yelled "Fire!" Steve was a 23-year-old conservation officer out for a ride with James.
With flames engulfing the vehicle, James worked through his panic, got his five-point harness off, jumped out, and ran to help Steve. Unfortunately, Steven was so covered in flames that James couldn’t get to him. When Steven's harness finally melted, he fell out onto the ground, still on fire. The young man died the next day.
23 years old, and tragically, he would never get to grow older.
What made this tragedy even more devastating was that in 2018, Polaris had recalled over 100,000 RZRs to provide fixes for a fire hazard involving a fuel pump flange. James Bingham's 2017 RZR was included in this recall and had received the fuel pump flange fix. However, fires continued to be reported on those same models after the attempted fix, including the RZR that killed Steven Groves.
James Bingham thought they were safe that day because they had five-point harnesses on. He didn't know how wrong he was until it was too late.
Baylee Hoaldridge:
A 15-Year-Old’s Tragic End
Baylee Hoaldridge was only 15 years old in 2015 when she was riding in a four-seat RZR 900 with her family. After turning a corner, the RZR overturned and caught fire. The flames erupted so quickly that by the time she escaped, she had third-degree burns on 65% of her body.
Baylee was hospitalized and endured 27 operations, including the removal of her large intestine. After four months of surgeries and support, she lost the battle and was taken off life support.
By the time Baylee lost her life in 2015, Polaris was already aware of the fire risk. Four years earlier, at a meeting in 2011, the company's head of product safety had told executives that a recall was necessary for the Model 900.
In a deposition, Kenneth d'Entremont testified that, "It was my heartfelt feeling and belief that the vehicle should be recalled." He left the company in 2012, saying, "It was no longer possible for me to continue working there ethically." He testified that he had been excluded from future safety meetings. He added that the RZR "was the big money maker for Polaris, so people were hesitant to put the brakes on."
Polaris failed to disclose the dangers the Model 900 posed to consumers or to fix the underlying defect. Then, in February 2016, nine months after Baylee's death, Polaris finally told the federal safety agency that the hazard was worse than previously reported. Two months later, the company said the RZRs "can catch fire while consumers are driving," but offered no further explanation.
Hallee Reynolds:
A Nursing Student's 115 Days in ICU
Hallee Reynolds was a 28-year-old nursing student when she hopped into a friend's 2014 RZR 1000. She rode in the front seat as they drove up a mountain off-road park near Knoxville, Tennessee. During this climb, the RZR burst into flames.
Hallee got her belt off and managed to crawl away from the fire, but not before suffering severe burns. She spent 115 days in a hospital burn unit ICU before passing away.
Like many others who have been severely burned in RZRs, Hallee had no idea about the RZR’s history of fires when she joined her friend for a ride. How could she know? Polaris had not warned consumers of the dangers their RZRs pose.
Colby Thompson:
"I Never Thought Anything Like That Could Happen"
Colby Thompson grew up driving Polaris in Montana. In 2017, he was test-driving a friend's brand-new 2017 RZR 900 on a trail in the Bridger Mountains when the vehicle suddenly caught fire. He sustained third-degree burns to 30% of his body.
In Colby’s own words: "My friends had Polaris RZRs when I was in high school, so I never had a bad thought about Polaris. I never thought anything like that could happen."
Colby is far from alone in that. Many RZR owners and passengers feel that the vehicles are safe because they are unaware of the many fires RZRs have caused. Young Colby and his friends grew up driving Polaris rigs. Why should he expect a sudden fire to change his life forever?
His life did change, however. After the fire, Colby lost the grip strength needed for his work as an electrician, forcing him to change careers.
John Hill:
"Didn't You See What I Went Through?"
John Hill didn’t know RZR’s could be so dangerous either. In 2014, John’s RZR burst into flames while driving in Idaho. The 40-year-old construction worker sustained third-degree burns on 44% of his body.
John spent weeks in a coma, suffered nerve damage, and underwent countless skin grafts. In 2017, he reached a settlement with Polaris for a confidential sum. Following this ordeal, Mr. Hill said, "I still have friends who buy them, and I'm like, 'What are you doing? Didn't you see what I went through?’"
Understandably, John could hardly believe that people would still buy and ride RZRs after knowing the harm they can cause.
How Many More?
Steven, Baylee, Hallee, Colby, and John are only five of the hundreds of victims burned in Polaris RZR fires. Over 675 RZRs have caught fire since 2011. Many victims suffered catastrophic burns. At least 13 people have died.
Despite these tragedies, the fires continue, even after recall repairs were made. As of early 2026, the fundamental design defect remains unfixed in Model 900, 1000, and Turbo vehicles still on trails across the country. In 2018, Polaris paid a $27.25 million penalty to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the largest fine in CPSC history, to settle claims that they had failed to report the fire hazard to federal regulators. Yet the RZRs with the dangerous design are still out there.
How many more passengers will be burned? How many more families will lose loved ones? How many more victims will spend months in burn units, endure dozens of surgeries, and live with permanent disfigurement?
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The fires continue. The danger remains. But you do not have to face this alone.
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ATV Fire Lawyers
The legal muscle of Three Law Firms and Highly-Respected Lawyers, Fighting for Burned Riders Nationwide
NOTE on ATV Fire Lawyers:
The ATV Fire Lawyers is a collaboration of Wojtalewicz Law Firm Ltd., Hazelton Law Group, and SiebenCarey Personal Injury Law, independent Minnesota law firms. The ATV Fire Lawyers is not a separate law firm or partnership. Legal services are provided by the participating firms, each of which is licensed to practice law in Minnesota. For questions, contact Brian Wojtalewicz, Wojtalewicz Law Firm Ltd., 139 N Miles St, Appleton, MN 56208, (320) 289-2363.
