If you or a member of your family has recently been injured in a car accident, you know the confusion, frustration, and stress that come with the fallout. In addition to facing a very scary experience for the first time, you also have to deal with medical expenses, lost wages, vehicle repairs, potential mental trauma, and the omnipresent threat of litigation. If, however, you were involved in a rollover accident, your physical and emotional injuries could be even more severe. Is there anything you can do to protect yourself? How will you get all of your bills covered?
What Defines a Rollover Accident?
A rollover collision is a common type of car accident wherein one or more automobiles roll onto their roof or their side. In a more harrowing version of a rollover accident, a vehicle might overturn multiple times before finally coming to a stop.What makes a vehicle rollover even more terrifying, is that since the vehicle is turned over onto its roof or side, sometimes repeatedly, the occupants are tossed about inside the cabin, increasing the seriousness of any injuries as well as the likelihood of death. If an occupant is not buckled up, they could even be thrown out of the vehicle, making the experience even more traumatic for those involved.
Common Rollover Accident Injuries
Rollover accidents commonly lead to catastrophic injuries and fatalities. Some of the most common injuries sustained during a rollover accident include:
- Head injuries/Traumatic brain injuries
- Back injuries/Spinal cord injuries
- Fractured bones/Broken bones
- Lacerated muscles and skin
- Internal organ damage/Internal bleeding
- Neck injuries
- Death
Common Causes of Rollover Accidents
Sadly, the most common causes of rollover car accidents, most of which are traffic violations, are avoidable. They include:
Speeding
Roughly 40% of vehicle rollovers are the result of speeding. In fact, the overwhelming majority of fatal vehicle rollovers occur at speeds of 55 miles an hour or higher. If you are driving a vehicle that has a high center of gravity, like a minivan, sport utility vehicle, bus, or pickup truck, the imminent threat is even greater.
Driving While Distracted
When you think about distracted driving, the first thing that comes to most people’s mind texting. Even though this is accurate, there are numerous other ways that a driver could temporarily stop paying attention to their surroundings. These include changing the radio station, checking their GPS for directions, reading a street sign or billboard, trying to reach a fallen object, and turning around to tend to children in the backseat. These distractions and a lot more ensure that a driver will not have enough time to react if anything dangerous or unexpected happens on the road ahead.
Driving While Intoxicated
Getting behind the wheel with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08% or higher is considered driving under the influence in all 50 states. Along with increasing the likelihood of erratic or sharp turns, speeding, and failing to stop at street signs and signals, driving while you are intoxicated can also lead to hefty fines or incarceration for the intoxicated driver.
Driving on Rural Roadways
City streets usually have barriers that separate lanes from roadside ditches and oncoming traffic, making it more likely for a car to come to a stop after an accident. In the meantime, rural roadways often lack these kinds of barriers, making it much more difficult for drivers to see curves, turns, or a road’s dead end, especially when it is dark outside and there are no clearly defined boundaries on the sides of the roadway. Even though metropolitan regions are far more heavily populated, most fatal motor vehicle accidents take place in rural areas.
What Are the Two Kinds of Rollover Accidents?
There are two distinct kinds of rollover car accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported that 95% of all vehicle rollovers are what is known as tripped rollovers.
Tripped Rollovers
This kind of car accident takes place when a physical object causes a vehicle to “trip” and overturn. For instance, a curb, soft soil, guardrail, or another object in or near the roadway.
Untripped Rollovers
In an untripped rollover car accident, nothing makes contact with the vehicle’s tires. This means that the accident could have been caused by:
- Driving above the speed limit or too fast for current road conditions
- Swerving in and out of traffic
- Turning turns or bends in the road without decelerating
- Suddenly yanking the steering wheel to avoid a crash
- Tires with little or no tread
Other causes of rollover accidents unrelated to driver negligence include:
- Malfunctioning brakes
- Overworn or defective tires
- Mechanical issues
- Poor road conditions
- Inclement weather
- Overloaded trucks
How is Liability Determined After a Rollover Crash?
Each motor vehicle accident is unique, and there is no shortage of variables when it comes to figuring out who was at fault. In order for liability to be accurately determined, all relevant circumstances leading up to the accident must be taken into consideration. Persons who could be at fault include:
- You, if you were drunk, speeding, or distracted
- The other driver if they were speeding or otherwise negligent
- The vehicle manufacturer, if they placed a defective vehicle or vehicle part into the stream of commerce
- A mechanic, if they failed to properly repair a mechanical problem they were hired to repair
- The Department of Transportation, if the roadways should have had additional signage or lighting or were in need of maintenance
To properly establish liability, you need to take into account if any of the involved drivers were negligent. This can be determined by surveillance videos, blood-alcohol tests, eyewitness statements, or the testimony of an expert witness, such as an accident reconstruction specialist. If you suspect that a third party may have been to blame, you and your Local Accident Reports lawyer will need to collect all relevant evidence in order to prove it.
Call Local Accident Reports After a Rollover Accident
If you or a member of your family has been injured in a rollover accident, give us a call at (888) 657-1460 to schedule your free consultation. At Local Accident Reports, we have experienced attorneys who routinely represent clients injured in rollover car accidents, and we can help you figure out the best course of action for your circumstances.
