Dallas Injury Attorney

Rollover Accident

Rollovers are among the most dangerous types of crashes that occur because the vehicle occupants are subjected to particularly severe injuries for two reasons. 

• First, rollover crashes place the vehicle in an unpredictable motion. 
• Second, occupants of a rolling vehicle are often ejected. Unpredictable vehicle motion and occupant ejection can result in severe head injuries, including traumatic brain injury, and, in many cases, death. Head trauma is the most frequent type of fatal and nonfatal injury that results from a rollover crash. 

In 1998, there were 3,713 fatal rollover accidents in the United States that resulted in the deaths of more than 10,000 people. These rollovers accounted for 10 percent of all fatal vehicle accidents and nearly 25 percent of all motor vehicle accident deaths. Of those who died in single-vehicle crashes, rollovers accounted for about 50 percent. In addition to fatal rollovers, another 65,000 rollovers occurred that resulted in non-fatal occupant injuries, and 44,000 more occurred that resulted in property damage only.

Many factors contribute to the occurrence of a rollover. The most significant factor appears to be vehicle type. Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) are more prone to rollover than any other type of vehicle because their elevated height and narrow width tend to make them top-heavy and, therefore, more likely to tip.  In 1998, 62 percent of all fatalities involving SUVs resulted from rollovers, compared with 22 percent of fatal accidents involving cars.  Although SUVs are more likely to rollover than any other vehicle, light trucks and vans also pose a greater danger than cars.  Like SUVs, light trucks and vans also have a higher center of gravity.  When you raise the center of gravity of a vehicle, it becomes unstable.

Another factor that contributes to the occurrence of a rollover is poor roadway design.  Most rollovers occur when a vehicle runs off a road and then rolls over.  When a road is poorly or improperly designed and that design causes a vehicle to leave the roadway and rollover, the entity that designed the roadway may be responsible for resulting injuries.

Finally, unsafe and reckless driving behaviors also contribute to the occurrence of rollovers. When a driver speeds or engages in abrupt driving maneuvers, the risk of rollover increases, especially when the reckless driver is operating a top-heavy vehicle, like an SUV. It is, therefore, important to always drive safely and carefully.

If you or a loved one was involved in a rollover accident, you should call an attorney as soon as possible. If the accident occurred because of the defective design of the vehicle, you may have a products liability action against the manufacturer of the vehicle. These cases require thorough investigation. It is, therefore, crucial to get legal counsel as soon as possible. The accident may also have occurred due to a roadway design defect, and an entity may be fully or partially responsible. To determine the responsible party, it is crucial to get a lawyer as soon as possible. Finally, even if the driver may have been driving in a reckless manner, a design defect of the vehicle or of the roadway may have contributed to the occurrence of the rollover and the resulting injuries. A lawyer should be consulted to make that determination. 

To learn more about roadway design defect cases, click here.

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If you, or someone you care about, have been injured in a rollover accident, you can contact our law firm for a free consultation in one of two ways:

Calling our law firm at: 888-202-5585.  Our phones answer 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 Completing an online consultation form. 

We will answer your questions without charge and there is no obligation to use our services.

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Jaramillo Law Firm
1412 Main Street, 22nd Floor
Dallas, Texas 75202
Phone 888-202-5585