Recreational vehicles, commonly known as RVs, are motor vehicles or trailers that come with living quarters. There are several types of RVs, including caravans, camper vans, and fifth-wheel trailers. These vehicles are extremely popular during the summer months as many families drive cross country for vacation purposes. However, some people live in RVs for long periods of time due to financial reasons or their desire to explore the RV lifestyle. Either way, purchasing an RV can be very expensive, which is why many people use rental RVs.
Unfortunately, RVs can malfunction due to their weight and size, which can lead to serious accidents for the occupants and other motorists. Defective tires and wheels are one of the leading causes of accidents with RVs, especially on large vehicles like Class A Motorhomes. Accidents can also happen from RV trailers that are hitched to large pickup trucks. If a tire comes off the rim of these units, they can jackknife back and forth while the car is being driven. This can lead to the driver veering of the road or crashing into another vehicle.
If a tire came off the rim of the RV rental and you were injured because of it, you must learn about your rights and legal options from a rental car company lawsuit attorney. The laws regarding liability for a rental car accident are complicated in California, which can cause many victims to lose out on the compensation they deserve. The lawyers of Normandie can protect your interests and fight to recover your settlement from the responsible party. Please give us a call and schedule a free case evaluation.
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Injuries from a Rental RV Accident
There are many serious injuries you can sustain if a tire came off the rim of the rental car and you crashed because of it. RV accidents, in particular, can result in tragic consequences for many people, including fatality. Here is a list of the most common injuries that are caused by an RV accident:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Broken pelvis
- Hip fracture
- Whiplash and other neck injuries
- Spinal cord injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Ruptured organs
- First to fourth degree burns
- Scars and other facial injuries
- Loss of limb / amputation
- Knee injury
- Soft tissue injuries
- Nerve damage
- Death
These are all physical injuries, but we can’t underestimate the impact of what a rental RV accident does to a victim’s mental state. Even if your accident resulted in minor physical damage, the trauma of an accident can lead to mental health disorders like PTSD. Successful lawsuits over the years have proven that PTSD is a serious injury that deserves compensation. But making a case for damages is incredibly challenging with mental disorders, so it’s best to seek help from an experienced rental car injury lawyer. To learn more about the damages you can recover from a rental RV accident, contact our office at your earliest convenience.
Who is Responsible for a Defective RV Tire?
One or more parties may be at fault when a tire comes off the rim of a vehicle. Determining who is liable (responsible) for the defect is essential to filing an injury claim for your monetary damages. However, this is a complex situation when it comes to rental cars. When an accident is linked to a specific part of the vehicle, there’s a good chance that the defect originated from the manufacturer. In June 2022, Goodyear recalled 170,000 tires that were made between 1996 and 2003. These tires were failing at much higher rates than other tires that were being used on RVs, which can be deadly when traveling at high speeds.
While these tires are quite outdated, they are still being used on older vehicles and rental RVs. Thus, if your accident was caused by a defective tire, you may have a claim against the manufacturer for your physical and emotional damages. However, safety issues with car parts cannot always be blamed on the manufacturer. The vehicle owner, car mechanic, or rental agency can also create issues that result in a rental car wheel coming off the rim.
Can I Sue the Rental Company for my Injuries?
If an act of negligence is the cause of your rental RV accident, you may be able to sue the car rental company for your injuries. Essentially, negligence refers to a company’s failure to resolve a situation when it was reasonable to do so. If the failure leads to an accident, the company is liable for the victim’s injuries. Examples of negligence by a rental car company include:
- Lack of or insufficient vehicle maintenance
Rental car companies must have a schedule and system for maintaining their vehicles. Maintenance includes prompt replacing or repairing of broken / defective parts. Even if the defect occurred during the manufacturing process, it’s up to the rental company to catch these flaws through regular maintenance. Failure to install tires properly, along with rims and wheels, also fall into the category of insufficient vehicle maintenance.
- Refusal to make necessary repairs
Even with regular maintenance, it’s ultimately up to the rental company to decide whether or not they will fix a known issue with their cars. If the company was told about a defect in one of their RVs by a mechanic, renter, etc., but failed to fix it, they are responsible for any future accidents.
- Illegal business practices
RV rental companies may try to cut costs through illegal business practices like hiring uncertified mechanics and using low-quality parts. These types of misconduct can serve as the basis for a RV accident lawsuit due to a tire coming off the rim.
The cause of your own accident may not fit into one of these categories, but that doesn’t mean the rental company isn’t responsible for your injuries. Our lawyers can determine all the parties that are liable for your accident and go after them for the full value of your losses.
Compensation from a RV Rental Accident Lawsuit
There are various damages you can recover as a rental RV injury victim. The specific damages you are entitled to depend on whether you are filing a personal injury claim or a wrongful death compensation claim. In a personal injury claim, you are seeking compensation for your bodily injuries, and the losses that have resulted from those injuries. A wrongful death claim, on the other hand, is filed by family members and loved ones of someone that died in a rental RV accident.
In general, victims and loved ones may be able to recover:
- Medical expenses
- Funeral costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of expected income
- Loss of benefits
- Loss of consortium
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Legal fees
- Punitive damages
You most likely have questions about one or more of these damages, which our lawyers can explain to you in detail. As you can see, compensable injuries go far beyond medical bills and lost wages, which is what people normally try to recover from an injury claim. But you may be entitled to compensation for other losses, such as emotional distress, future lost wages, and loss of the decedent’s love and companionship.
The lawyers of Normandie will fight to bring you all the losses you are eligible to receive as an RV accident victim. Call us today and schedule a time to speak with one of our attorneys.
Help from a Rental Car Accident Lawsuit Attorney
Have you been harmed in an accident due to a tire coming off the rim of a rental RV? Are you the loved one of a rental RV accident victim? If so, the lawyers of Normandie are here to advise you of your legal rights. During a free consultation, we can educate you on the legal actions you can take, which may include a rental car company lawsuit against the RV rental agency. However, the injury claims process can be difficult when rental vehicles are involved, so you must take action right away in order to protect your right to compensation.
If legal fees are holding you back from hiring a lawyer, lets us put your mind at ease with our Zero fee guarantee. You will pay nothing upfront when you choose our law firm, nor will you pay us a single penny unless we win you case. That means we recover our fees at the same time you receive your settlement, so there’s absolutely no risk to your finances.
Please give us a call to find out how we can assist you if you’ve been involved in a rental RV accident. Our lawyers look forward to speaking with you during a free case evaluation.
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