Philadelphia Injury Attorney Blog

Recently two individuals luckily escaped with their lives after their RV burst into flames, taking less than 5 minutes to burn down. The accident happened at Mid-Valley RV Park in Texas when John Dillon and Russell Salinas were taking an RV for a test drive. Dillon stated that when he turned the key on the RV, a fire started in the front. "I saw the flames. I'm not going to jump through that thing, so I'm running," said Dillon. "The flames are coming up...so I'm ducking down. And I remember the very front door. It had a big enough window, so I jump out. And I saw the door handle and flew right out." They jumped into their truck which was parked next to the RV in a race to get away. However, the truck was stuck in mud. The fire also destroyed a second RV. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

If you have never seen an RV fire, you probably have no idea how quickly an RV can burn down to its metal frame. Having propane onboard makes this a more likely scenario as it generally indicates that there can be an explosion. Unfortunately, the situation of RV fires is not thought about or discussed very often. However, there are over 20,000 reported RV fires every year. Many of them are caused by transmission or fuel leaks or shorts in the 12 volt electrical system. These fires can escalate very quickly in a confined environment, added to the fact that many of the materials utilized in the construction of the vehicle are extraordinarily flammable and burn rapidly, often resulting in the average RV smoldering to ash on the frame in as little as 10 to 15 minutes.

As an experienced defective trailer lawyer with experience dealing with RV fires, I am extraordinarily concerned by the inadequacy of standards in the recreational vehicle business as many loopholes exist which are not called to attention until it is too late. For more information on this subject I invite you to communicate with Ron Melacon, a consumer advocate and crusader who has spent a long part of his life bringing these issues to the public eye. You can visit his website at www.dangeroustrailers.org.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a defective trailer accident or fire, your case deserves the attention and investigatory efforts of an experienced RV fire and defective trailer lawyer. For a free no obligation consultation, please contact our office at 1-800-421-9595.