The back side of this is the possibility of a "latent failure" such that an element of the structure has been damaged (fatigue/corrosion/overload) but the associated structure is still carrying the load, so the failure is undetected. Good inspectability is vital.
A case in point being the design of the Blanik L-13 spar root. All Blaniks were grounded following a fatal in-flight wing failure, due to fatigue, in Austria. The design of the spar is such that a potential failure is undetectable visually and the cost of a suitable repair scheme was more than the glider is worth.