Auto accidents occur in many ways, including side, rear, and rollover accidents. Thousands of front, near-side, and rollover-type accidents happen daily on roadways each year. A rollover accident occurs when a vehicle tips over to its side or rolls over completely until it is upside down. In some car rollover accidents, a vehicle will roll over multiple times before coming to rest. Rollover accidents are relatively rare, accounting for only about 2% of all traffic accidents in the United States. But fatal rollover accidents account for nearly 30% of all traffic-related fatalities.
Rollover accidents can often cause severe injuries. If you or a loved one were injured in a rollover accident caused by another’s negligence or recklessness, you might be eligible for compensation to cover your damages. Victims are often eligible for compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other losses. We can help ensure you receive fair compensation. Contact the Law Offices of Ali Yousefi, P.C. today.
What Causes Most Rollover Accidents?
Any moving vehicle is capable of rolling over. What causes rollover accidents? Rollover car accidents occur for various reasons, with driver error being the most common cause. Any vehicle can be involved in a rollover accident if the circumstances are right. However, certain factors increase the likelihood of a vehicle rollover.
Type of Vehicle Involved
A vehicle’s center of gravity impacts the automobile’s likelihood of rolling. Top-heavy vehicles and vehicles with a high center of gravity are more likely to experience a rollover. These vehicles are susceptible to tipping over, particularly in situations involving high speeds or collision avoidance maneuvers. Vehicles commonly involved in rollover accidents are sport utility vehicles, crossovers, light passenger cars, pickup trucks, vans, and commercial trucks.
High Speeds
Speeding impacts rollover accidents. Fatal rollover accidents are speed-related more often than fatal non-rollover crashes. Most rollover accidents occur where the speed limit is 55 miles per hour or more. Speeding makes it harder to control a vehicle and reduces the time you have to perceive a hazard and come to a safe stop. Reduced reaction time can lead to over-correction or a sudden swerve that can cause a rollover.
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
An impaired driver is involved in nearly half of all rollover crashes. Alcohol impairment reduces many skills a driver needs to safely operate a motor vehicle, including speed control and perceiving and responding to roadway hazards. Other factors that can contribute to car rollover accidents include the following:
- Fatigue and distracted driving,
- Icy or wet roads,
- Curved roads or exit ramps,
- Overloading the vehicle,
- Too much tire grip, and
- Excessively worn tires.
If the driver who caused the accident behaved negligently or recklessly by driving while impaired, they might be liable for your injuries.
What Happens to a Body in a Rollover Crash?
Car rollover accidents are particularly violent and frequently result in serious or catastrophic injuries. Any car accident can be severe, but rollover accidents impact your body from multiple angles. A driver or passenger may get ejected from the car or be impaired by road debris. Common injuries in rollover accidents include the following:
- Traumatic brain injury and other head trauma;
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis;
- Broken bones;
- Crushed limbs leading to amputation;
- Internal injuries;
- Head, neck, and chest injuries;
- Burns; and
- Impact injuries from an ejection.
Even if a rollover accident victim survives the crash, the resulting injuries may cause permanent disability or incapacitation.
Physical injuries aren’t the only damage to your body during and after a rollover accident. You may also suffer from mental and emotional injuries. You might experience pain and suffering like:
- Mental anguish,
- Depression or anxiety,
- Fear,
- Emotional suffering from scarring or disfigurement, or
- The loss of enjoyment of life.
It is critical to seek medical attention as soon as possible. In addition to physical injuries, rollover accidents can result in emotional trauma, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Thus, seeking assistance for both physical and emotional injuries is critical to fully recovering from car rollover accidents.
What Are Rollover Crashes Common On?
Most rollover vehicle accidents occur on two-way roads without a dividing barrier. These roads are more likely to have speed limits of 55 miles an hour and higher. Statistics prove that speed is a contributing factor in most fatal rollovers. Also, rollover accidents are more common on rural roads.
What Cars Have the Highest Rollover Risk?
Although a rollover risk is possible in any passenger vehicle, certain vehicles flip more easily than others. SUVs, trucks, and vans flip more easily than other vehicles because they:
- Have a higher center of gravity;
- Have a narrower width between the right and left tires than passenger cars; and
- Are more prevalent on rural roads, where most rollovers occur.
Certain vehicles have a higher rollover risk, but it is important to note that other factors are also in play in car rollover accidents—including driver error, road conditions, road design, and equipment failure.
What Are the Chances of Surviving a Rollover Accident?
About 30% of all rollover accidents result in a fatality. Statistics show that an individual’s actions during and after the accident can impact the outcome. Certain actions after the crash increase survival chances and prevent horrific injuries. Removing feet from the pedals and releasing the steering wheel while crossing the arms against their chest can help an occupant increase their chances of survival.
Surviving a crash could depend on the occupant’s age, body mass index, location when the vehicle flipped, and whether the person was confined or ejected during or after the collision.
What Compensation Is Available for California Rollover Car Accidents?
If you’ve sustained damages in a rollover accident caused by the negligence or recklessness of another driver, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries. Some common damages available in rollover car accidents include the following:
- Medical expenses,
- Lost wages,
- Property damage, and
- Pain and suffering.
If a loved one died in a rollover accident, a wrongful death claim might be a legal option to seek compensation for your losses. Our experienced Sacramento rollover accident lawyer can explain your legal options.
Speak to a Sacramento Rollover Accident Lawyer
If you sustain an injury in a rollover accident, you will most likely need time to recover from severe injuries. You may have concerns regarding how you will pay your medical expenses or have questions about your legal options.
At the Law Offices of Ali Yousefi, P.C., our experienced personal injury lawyer is dedicated to helping accident victims recover the compensation they deserve. Ali can explain what legal action you can take to get compensation and whether you have a case worth pursuing. Because Ali experienced being an injured victim of an auto accident, he is fully aware of the physical and emotional toll the claims can have on you. At the Law Offices of Ali Yousefi, P.C., we fight aggressively to get the compensation you deserve. Contact us today by phone or contact us online. We can help!