Brevard County Rollover Accident Attorneys

The Risk of a Rollover

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a rollover crash is one of the most deadly forms of crashes among passenger vehicles, accounting for more than one-third of all occupant fatalities in 2010. Among fatally injured passenger vehicle occupants in 2010, the proportion of fatalities in rollover crashes was highest for SUVs at 57 percent. 

Because of a number of design flaws in SUV construction, the dangers of rollover accidents are compounded even further. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, SUVs are disproportionately more likely than regular cars to be in fatal single-vehicle crashes. 

Potentially Dangerous Design Characteristics

Although driver negligence often plays a part in SUV rollovers, victims usually also file product liability lawsuits against the designers or manufacturers. Two design characteristics make SUVs more likely to roll over than other cars: a higher center of gravity and a narrower width. The combination of the two makes it a potentially unstable vehicle. If a driver makes a sharp turn, the SUV may not be wide enough to balance out the load. The high center of gravity makes it more likely that any loss of balance will result in the vehicle rolling over completely.

Poor roof construction in some SUVs makes the resulting rollover more dangerous. Many SUVs do not have roll bars to take the brunt of the force of impact, and the roof suffers most of the damage in a rollover and collapses inward sharply. Occupants can be killed or severely injured if this happens.

Ditches, speeding, varied pavement materials, or an icy road significantly increases the risk of rollover accidents. Drivers themselves can contribute to the risk of an accident with overcorrected steering. 

Life after a Rollover Accident

Those who survive a rollover accident in an SUV can often be left with severe injuries and disabilities:

• Head and back injuries 
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Broken neck
• Full or partial paralysis brought on by spinal cord injury

Clients may be forced to dramatically alter their lifestyle due to their injuries. They may also lose the wages and financial support that would make such changes easier. While financial compensation cannot erase the damage done by an accident, it can go a long way in stabilizing your life afterward. The surest way to collect the compensation you will need in order to recovery from injury and other losses is to secure the representation of an experienced and proven attorney.

If a dispute arises between you and your insurance provider regarding a collision with an uninsured or underinsured motorist, a lawyer can help you receive the coverage you are entitled to. We can go over your coverage and the nature of the crash, parsing the language and considering the nature of your situation to help you receive benefits to cover medical needs and vehicle damage. We are here to help.

For more information about your legal rights and options after a motorcycle accident, be sure to contact an experienced Brevard County Motorcycle Accident Attorney. The attorneys at Charpentier Law Firm, P.A. are here to help. You can reach our Melbourne office by phone at 321-308-80205 or by using the contact form found at the bottom of this page.