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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Crushed to Death by a Motor Home

PITTSBURGH (CN) - A motor home with a leaky suspension system slowly crushed a man to death as he looked for the source of an antifreeze drip, his mother claims in court.

The late John Borzik's mother, Wanda Borzik, sued a long list designers, manufacturers and retailers of recreational motor vehicles and vehicle systems, involved in the 2008 Tour Master recreational motor home her son bought new in late 2007.

Its chassis contained an air suspension system with height-control valves and dump valves.

John Borzik had driven the motor home 36,837 miles when he parked the by the of a road on Sept. 11, 2011, to look for the source of an antifreeze leak.

His body was found face up near the right rear axle under the motor home.

After his body was found, an air leak through a port in the front-mounted dump valve of the suspension system was found, his mother says in the lawsuit. Due to the leaky suspension system, "without warning, the structure descended and trapped the decedent, compressed his chest and caused him to asphyxiate over a period of time and die," Borzik's mother says.

The Tour Master had valves in the driver's side suspension systems next to the front axle and valves at each side of and near the rear axle. Borzik claims the designs are defective, including lack of air protection and check valves to isolate the front and rear suspension systems or prevent exhaustion of all the air in the air springs during a leak, and defects in the height control valves and the dump valves.

She claims the design defects and failure to inform or warn consumers about the dangers of service and maintenance led to John's death.

Named as defendants are Daimler Trucks North America LLC; Freightliner LLC; Freightliner Corporation; Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation; Haldex Brake Products Corporation; Haldex Limited; Haldex Midland Corporation; SAF-Holland USA Inc.; Gulf Stream Coach Inc.; and Tour Master Recreational Vehicles Inc.

Borzik seeks compensatory and punitive damages for wrongful death, negligence and breach of implied warranty.

She is represented by John Caputo of Pittsburgh.

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