Rollover Fatalities
Rollover accidents are uncommon. They make up only a tiny percentage of all motor vehicle accidents, yet they are disproportionately deadly, responsible for about one third of fatal crashes. SUVs are more likely to roll than most vehicles, because of their design. Making matters worse, other defects can reduce their ability to protect occupants during a crash.
How rollovers kill
A rollover is a serious accident and almost always results in severe injuries. Certain defects and malfunctions can make a rollover accident even more dangerous and likely to result in death. These include:
Roof crush is the result of a roof system that is too weak. It allows the roof of the vehicle to protrude inside the occupant space, causing brain injuries and spinal cord injuries.
Seat belt failure can cause ejection, with the passenger landing in the path of other vehicles, or partial ejection causing amputations or decapitation. Seat belt failure combined with roof crush can also lead to “diving injuries.” In a diving injury slack in the belt allows the occupant to gain momentum before making impact with the interior of the vehicle.
Door latch failure is another defect which can lead to ejection, or partial ejection.
Fuel-fed fires are the result of fuel system defects. A fuel-fed fire can spread quickly and cause severe burns or death, in a survivable rollover, before help can arrive.
Ejection is involved in over 60% of rollover deaths.
Severe injuries
When rollover accidents are survived, they often result in catastrophic injuries such as:
- Brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Severe burns
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Coma
- Internal injuries
Severe injuries, such as these, not only take away from your quality and enjoyment of life, they can also shorten your life. Catastrophic injuries can involve damage to important systems in your body, impairing their function and causing them to fail years before they would have if you had not been injured. They can leave you susceptible to life-threatening infections. Brain injuries and injuries which affect mobility can make you more likely to be involved in another accident, or more likely to die if you are injured a second time.
The experienced rollover accident attorneys participating in the SUV Rollover Lawyers Network are dedicated to helping people who have been injured and whose loved ones have been killed in SUV rollover accidents. These experienced rollover attorneys know what it takes to establish the liability of the manufacturer and will fight to get you the compensation you deserve for your injury or loss.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an SUV rollover accident, please e-mail us to contact an experienced SUV rollover lawyer.
