Recreational vehicles offer Maryland families the chance to travel in comfort and style. Unfortunately, these larger, heavier vehicles are a significant investment, partially because they require regular, often expensive, and detail-oriented proper maintenance. Taking sufficient care of an RV can help owners to more effectively identify when something is wrong – perhaps dangerously so.
If an RV contains a hidden defect, the consequences of that can be far more serious than an ordinary car malfunction might be. A tire blowout on a winding road, a brake failure during a descent or an electrical short that sparks a fire inside the cabin can quickly lead to the kinds of injuries caused by a massive vehicle crashing at high speeds, while many of its occupants may be unbuckled while sleeping or otherwise enjoying their vehicle’s amenities.
Not all RV accidents occur due to driver error or other motorists
Many RV owners assume that if something goes wrong, it must be due to user error, but a surprising number of RV accidents are ultimately tied to manufacturing flaws, faulty components or design oversights that were present long before a particular vehicle embarked on its first trip. RV defect announcements are made all the time. Unfortunately, it often takes multiple crashes for certain defects to be discovered, let alone adequately addressed.
RVs are built from thousands of parts supplied by different manufacturers, which means one defective component can compromise an entire vehicle. Problems with steering systems, propane tanks, slide-out mechanisms or suspension systems can create dangers that even the most attentive driver cannot anticipate. Recalls may involve issues such as improperly installed wiring, malfunctioning wheels, unstable chassis construction or fire hazards caused by faulty appliances. Unfortunately, many RV owners never receive recall notifications, and others may not understand how serious the listed hazards are until it is too late.
When a defective RV causes an accident, determining who is responsible can be a complex process. Liability may rest with the manufacturer that designed a defective part, the company that assembled the affected RV, the dealership that sold it or even a repair shop that failed to address a known issue. In Maryland, the state’s contributory negligence standard can create additional challenges, making it even more important for crash victims to work with a skilled legal team to identify any defects and show that the injured parties did not contribute to the accident at issue.
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