Oregon RV Accidents: Causes and Legal Options

With its beautiful scenery and thriving wildlife populations, Oregon is a natural destination for sightseers, campers, and those who just love to take big bites out of the great outdoors. Many visitors to Oregon, as well as residents of the state, choose to travel around the state for some downtime in a recreational vehicle (RV).

Unfortunately, due to their sheer size, as well as a number of other factors, RVs tend to be involved in their fair share of road accidents, and the injuries people suffer in such collisions are often catastrophic. Portland personal injury lawyers are frequently contacted by people who have suffered life-changing injuries, or family members who have lost loved ones in RV accidents.

No special license required

Though nowhere near as large as the big rigs that we see on Oregon highways every day, RVs are still considerably larger than most other vehicles on the roads. It is their sheer size and power that gives them the capacity to cause devastating accidents and catastrophic injuries.

In spite of this, and even taking into consideration that RVs are much more difficult to operate than a standard motor vehicle, anyone in the country with a valid driver’s license can own and operate one of these monsters of the motorway. No special permits or mandatory training are required, in Oregon or anywhere else in the United States.

While RV drivers are traditionally careful and attentive, so many factors and circumstances can lead to serious accidents and even more serious injuries. RV owners themselves have reported that the following would be among the most common causes of RV crashes:

• Difficulties with visibility
• Problems with steering, particularly when a sudden directional change is required
• The inability to react quickly to changing road conditions
• Driving while fatigued—this is bad enough in a car, but when an RV is involved, it’s like the difference between throwing a firecracker and tossing a stick of dynamite.
• Excessive speed
• Poor driving conditions, including icy or poorly maintained roads
• Manufacturing defects in the RV itself, or poor design quality
• Reckless or drunk driving—again, with a vehicle the size of an RV, getting behind the wheel and driving aggressively or worse, driving while intoxicated borders on lunacy.
• Unsatisfactory vehicle maintenance
• Trailer detachment due to improper hookup or other mechanical faults

What happens if I’ve been hit by an RV?

For starters, if you’re still alive, count yourself lucky. After that, get whatever medical help you need, because if you’ve been hit by an RV, the odds are you’re going to be in pretty bad shape. As such, you’re probably going to have:

• Large medical bills
• Loss of income due to not being able to attend work
• Considerable pain and suffering
• A requirement for ongoing treatment and therapy
• Stresses and strains in your family relationships

In addition, liability can be exceptionally difficult to prove in RV accidents, and due to the severity of both physical and property damage an RV can impart on whatever it hits, insurance companies are notoriously reluctant to admit that liability. With potentially extra large claims and pay-outs at stake, insurers have a tendency to deny liability or defend cases that are clearly (to most people) indefensible.

Contact an experienced professional

Bearing all this in mind, and also considering you (or a member of your family) have just been badly injured, carrying out investigations, hiring experts to testify and filing the lawsuit itself is probably not at the top of your “Things I’d Like to be Doing Today” list.

Hire an expert litigator, and be sure to find someone who has experience in handling cases involving RVs. You can be certain the insurance company will be bringing out their best defense attorneys, so level the playing field by finding a dedicated and experienced Portland personal injury lawyer to represent you.

The consultation is free, and a reputable attorney will bear all the expenses involved in launching and pursuing your personal injury claim. They will make sure your medical bills are paid and that you receive compensation for your pain and suffering. Your lost income will be included in your claim.

Because personal injury attorneys fight RV accident cases so aggressively, insurance companies are far more inclined to make a reasonable settlement offer, and to make it far earlier, than if you try to take them on without legal representation.

Give yourself the best possible chance of both physical and financial recovery by consulting with an experienced motor vehicle accident lawyer. You and your family need and deserve to be compensated if you’ve been in an RV accident that wasn’t your fault.