According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), rollover accidents have a risk of serious injury that is three times higher than other types of accidents.
A rollover can change your life in an instant, but it’s important to understand that you have legal options to get you back on your feet. Our car accident attorneys in Macon, GA will help determine liability and help you earn maximum compensation for your injuries and property damage.
If you or a loved one were injured in a rollover crash, call us now to discuss your options.
What is a vehicle rollover accident?
In a rollover accident, the impact of a collision causes a vehicle to roll over onto its roof where it might stay, or the car could continue rolling over and over several times until an object causes it to stop. The rollover itself is caused by a sudden, forceful shift in the vehicle’s weight and center of gravity, which causes it to veer off balance and roll over.
Rollovers also include tip-over accidents where a vehicle lands on its side but doesn’t turn completely over. As you can imagine, all types of rollover accidents are incredibly dangerous. Passengers are often ejected from vehicles, crashing through the window or windshield onto whatever surface or vehicle they come in contact with.
Rollovers are rarer than many other types of accidents, which is good because they are also more deadly.
Liability in Rollover Accidents
To make a successful personal injury claim and be compensated for your losses, you and your attorney must prove that the other party’s negligent or reckless actions caused the accident that led to your injuries and property damage. This is known as “liability.”
More than one party may be liable for your damages, which is why it’s crucial to hire a rollover accident attorney in Macon, GA. An attorney will conduct a thorough investigation to determine exactly which parties are liable.
In some cases, like semi-truck accidents the liable party is not an individual driver, but a government organization or private company. Let’s examine some situations in which these parties could be held liable for injuries suffered in a rollover crash.
Vehicle Designers or Manufacturers
Despite what some companies would lead you to believe, the safety of a vehicle is much more important than its appearance. For example, designers or manufacturers of SUVs must take into account the center of gravity of the vehicle they’re producing. SUVs have a higher center of gravity than sedans and other small cars, making certain safety features necessary to reduce the risk of a rollover accident.
You may be eligible for compensation from the vehicle manufacturer if they used a dangerous design or there was a flaw in manufacturing.
Government Entities
Certain branches of local government are responsible for the development and upkeep of public roadways, traffic signs, and safety features like guardrails. Safe roads are more than just good design; they must be kept up and tested frequently for safety.
When a government entity fails to maintain safe roadways (failing to fix dilapidated signs, ignoring potholes, or failing to repaint faded traffic lines), a driver may be able to sue that entity if the dangerous roadway caused the accident that led to their injuries.
We’ll Establish Liability to Get You Compensation
The best way to establish liability is with the help of an experienced and dedicated rollover accident lawyer in Macon, GA. Our attorneys have years of experience representing injured victims, and we’ll work hard to get you the compensation you need to pay your medical bills and make up for lost income.
Call us today to learn how we’ll get you the money you need.
Vehicle Rollover Accident Injuries
In its report examining the characteristics of crash injuries among drivers, the NHTSA states that rollover crashes are “one of the most significant safety problems for all classes of vehicles and all age groups of drivers.”
Here are some of the injuries common to rollover accidents.
Head and Brain Injuries
The head is a fragile part of the body, and the brain is even more so. Placed under the tremendous force and unnatural movement at play in a rollover collision, a victim can suffer severe head and brain injuries, some of which cause mild symptoms and some of which lead to life-changing, debilitating injuries or death.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most serious injuries a person can suffer in any accident. A person can sustain a TBI if they’re ejected from the vehicle and strike their head on the ground or another hard surface, or if they hit their head on the roof or an object inside the vehicle as it rolls over.
TBIs can cause a range of symptoms. Some, like confusion and disorientation, headache, dizziness, and blurry vision are considered mild, and others, like post-injury amnesia, light and sound sensitivity, personality changes, and seizures are considered moderate to severe.
In a rollover accident, the severity of a victim’s injuries often depends on whether or not they were wearing a seatbelt and their proximity to the roof of the vehicle. However, a person could be buckled in and sitting normally and still suffer debilitating injuries in a rollover.
Spinal Cord Injuries
A spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most severe and life-threatening injuries you can experience in a car accident. In a rollover crash, enormous force is exerted upon the body, putting more strain on the spine than it can handle.
This force could lead to vertebral fracture (break of one or more vertebrae located in the spine), which exerts pressure on the spinal cord, introducing a risk of spinal cord puncture or fracture. Depending on where the spinal cord was damaged (more severe injuries occur in the cervical spine located in the neck), a victim may suffer a range of symptoms, including full or partial paralysis, difficulty breathing, or loss of bladder or bowel control, among many others.
Chest Injuries
According to a statistical report published by the NHTSA, 80% of severe injuries affecting victims of rollover accidents occurred to the head or chest. This significant percentage is due to the nature of rollover accidents, in that a victim’s chest undergoes intense stress from being flipped upside down while still restrained by the seatbelt.
Seatbelts save lives, but they can also cause serious chest injuries. Of course, seatbelts aren’t the only mechanism to blame for injuries in rollover accidents; victims who come into contact with the roof of their vehicle can suffer rib fractures, internal bleeding, organ failure, and more by hitting the hard surface of the roof.
Vehicles Most Likely to Roll Over
They’re cool, they’re flashy, and they’re deadly. Some vehicles have such a high risk of rollover (as determined by NHTSA testing) that consumers should reconsider purchasing any of the following vehicles on this Top 10 list:
2017 Cadillac Escalade
According to NHTSA testing, the 2017 rear-wheel-drive Escalade has a 22.9% chance of rolling over. For context, the Nissan Quest van has a 12% chance of rolling over, making it one of the safest vans on the market.
2016 and 2017 Ram 2500
The 2016 and 2017 models of the Ram 2500 had significantly high rollover risk scores, as determined by the NHTSA. These vehicles displayed a 23.7% risk of rollover, and the 2016 model has undergone several recalls.
2016 Ford F-250
The Ford F-250 may have outstanding hauling ability, but the 2016 model has one of the highest rollover risks in the industry. According to the NHTSA, this model has a 24.7% chance of rolling over, especially when driven at high speeds.
2017 Toyota 4Runner
The 2017 Toyota 4Runner had one of the highest rollover percentage risks of large SUVs, clocking in at 24.6% for both rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive models.
2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 4WD
The Jeep Wrangler may look cool, but it’s been found to be highly unreliable during a crash. According to NHTSA data, the 2017 model has a 27.9% risk of rollover, one of the highest of all tested SUVs.
Contact a Macon Rollover Accident Lawyer Today
Rollovers are some of the most devastating accidents that can occur on the road. Severe injury and expensive property damage are all too common, making these accidents extremely dangerous for everyone involved. If you were injured in a rollover accident, it’s important to understand that you have legal options.
Even if you’re unsure about who or what caused your accident, you should contact a rollover accident lawyer in Macon, GA. We’ll assist you in assigning liability and getting you compensation for your injuries.
Call us at (478) 216-1664 today.
