RV (Recreational Vehicle) Accidents

Truck Crash Lawyers Representing Victims in Los Angeles and Surrounding Cities

There are many types of recreational vehicles, more commonly known as RVs. These can be camping trailers, truck campers, motor homes, toy haulers, or camper vans. Anybody who has a standard Class C driver’s license is permitted to drive an RV that is up to 40 feet without additional training. However, that does not mean that everybody should drive an RV. There are very real risks attached to driving RVs, and sometimes it is driver inexperience with those risks that results in RV accidents. If you are hurt in an RV accident that was a result of negligent driving, you should contact our Los Angeles RV accident lawyers.

Claims Based on Recreational Vehicle Accidents

Recreational vehicle (RV) accidents can arise for a number of reasons. Some of these accidents happen because of how the RV is built. RVs often have large blind spots, require greater distances to brake properly, and are difficult to maneuver. Even though they go through collision and rollover tests, they are still difficult to drive.

No special license is required to operate an RV, and a significant percentage of RV drivers are elderly. The result may be that someone with weakening vision and slower response times may be operating a very big, heavy vehicle that has huge blind spots. Other causes of an RV accident may be inexperience, speeding, fatigue, overloading, rollovers, runaway trailers, improper turns, and miscalculations with regard to the braking distance. In 2012, people reported more than 75,000 injuries due to RV accidents.

If you are injured in an RV accident as a passenger or a driver of another vehicle, and the RV driver was at fault, you may have a basis to retain an RV accident attorney in Los Angeles to sue the driver for damages. You will need to show that the RV driver owed you a duty, breached the duty, and caused your injuries. Each element must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence. There are a number of forms that negligent actions or omissions can take. For example, an RV driver should check their blind spots before changing lanes. When an RV driver fails to check blind spots and barrels into you, resulting in broken bones, you should be able to show that they breached this duty and that this caused your injuries.

An RV driver or their insurer may argue that you were also negligent. Your recovery can be reduced by an amount equal to your percentage of fault for the accident. For example, if you were texting while driving, and the RV driver did not check his blind spot, but you could have avoided some of the damage had you not been texting, you may have been comparatively negligent. If your damages are $1 million, but you were 30% at fault, while the RV driver was 70% at fault, you would be able to recover $700,000 from the driver. A Los Angeles RV accident attorney can further advise you on how comparative negligence may apply to your case.

If you can establish an RV driver’s negligence, you may be able to recover a wide range of compensatory damages. These include both economic and noneconomic losses, such as emergency care, lost wages or income, lost earning capacity, medical expenses, the value of household services, pain and suffering, and lost enjoyment of life.

There may be situations in which no driver is at fault, but instead there were dangerous road conditions or defective components of the RV to blame for an accident. You may be able to bring a premises liability lawsuit against the owner of the road with the dangerous condition, or you may be able to bring suit against the manufacturer of the RV. It is important to consult an experienced attorney right away about what might have caused the accident and your potential remedies.

Hire a Skillful RV Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles

Although they are often billed as enjoyable ways to travel, RVs can be dangerous, particularly in the hands of an inexperienced or elderly driver. RV accidents can result in catastrophic injuries and even a wrongful death. If you were injured in an RV accident that you believe was somebody else’s fault, you should consult an attorney. At Sharifi Firm, APC, we can evaluate the circumstances surrounding an accident to determine whom to hold accountable for your injuries. Contact us at (866) 422-7222 or via our online form. We also represent victims in San Bernardino, Temecula, Rancho Cucamonga, Glendale, Covina, and Riverside, among other Southern California cities.