Although auto manufacturer designs are more stable than ever, rollover accidents still cause hundreds of serious injuries and fatalities each year. At The Law Offices of Gold, Albanese, Barletti & Locascio, LLC, our attorneys help those who have been injured or have lost a loved one in a rollover crash recover maximum compensation for their damages.
Common Rollover Accident Causes
Rollover accidents are much more common for SUVs, pickup trucks and large passenger vans than for cars. According to the NHSTA, 47 percent of SUV drivers and passengers killed in crashes in 2016 were in vehicles that rolled over. SUVs, pickups and vans are taller than cars and have greater ground clearance, which causes their center of gravity to be higher in relation to the width of the vehicle. More passengers and cargo can raise the center of gravity even more.
Reckless Driving
Because top-heavy motor vehicles generally do not handle rapid maneuvering very well, taking turns at high speeds and driving recklessly can easily cause fatal accidents when you’re behind the wheel of an SUV or a truck. Failing to pay attention and swerving into a soft shoulder, curb or bump in the road can cause “tripping,” which means that one of your vehicle’s tires strikes something that causes it to pitch forward or sideways and roll over. If you are driving recklessly or carelessly, it’s easy to get into any type of motor vehicle accident, but almost 95 percent of all rollover accidents happen this way.
Driving responsibly and playing it safe on the road prevent motor vehicle accidents and save lives. Regardless of the type of vehicle you’re driving, reckless, careless and distracted driving can cause serious injury or death. If your negligence hurts or kills someone, you may be civilly and criminally liable for their damages, which can change your life in the blink of an eye.
Manufacturing And Design Defects
Manufacturing and design defects can also cause rollover crashes. Defective tires, poor suspension and faulty brakes are just a few defects that may lead to a rollover accident. When a vehicle rolls over, the roof is often crushed, causing serious injury or death to occupants. If a vehicle’s manufacturer has not equipped the SUV or truck with proper safety features, such as a rollover bar, or a flawed design created a weakened roof, multiple parties may be liable for any injuries or death caused by these defects. Flawed designs in tires can cause tread belt separations and blowouts at high speeds, which are also a common cause of motor vehicle accidents.
Investigating Rollover Accidents
If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in a rollover accident, it’s important to seek the counsel of an experienced product liability attorney even if you think no one was at fault. Legal teams often enlist the help of reconstruction specialists, who are trained specifically to reconstruct motor vehicle accidents. By measuring and examining skid marks, gouges, points of impact and other evidence, they can recreate the course of events leading up to and during the crash. This valuable information can be pivotal in determining fault and ascertaining whether an accident was caused by a defect in the vehicle. If a manufacturing or design defect caused your motor vehicle accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages.