When it comes to car accidents, few are as potentially deadly as a rollover. Rollover accidents occur when a driver loses control, resulting in a motor vehicle rolling onto its side or roof. When these accidents occur at high speed, cars routinely roll multiple times before coming to rest.
If you have survived a rollover accident caused by another driver, you could pursue a legal claim for your injuries. A Miami rollover accident lawyer could help you in your fight for the financial compensation you deserve. To discuss your options, contact Ben Crump Law, PLLC, at (844) 730-0233 right away for a free case review with a team member.
Rollover Statistics
The reality of rollover accidents is that they are rare but potentially deadly. According to SaferCar, approximately 2.1 percent of all motor vehicle collisions involved a rollover. While this makes up a tiny fraction of the total number of accidents, these crashes are far more likely to have serious or deadly consequences. Nearly 35 percent of all passenger vehicle fatalities involved a rollover accident, highlighting the potentially severe injuries that can follow this type of crash.
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How Rollover Accidents Occur
Some rollover accidents occur when a motorist loses control of their vehicle. These accidents can happen when a driver overcorrects and turns sideways, causing the vehicle to flip and roll. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that more than 70 percent of these accidents occur due to a collision before the rollover. In many cases, the pre-rollover crash resulted from the actions of a negligent motorist.
Many rollover accidents are an unfortunate side effect of a well-functioning tire. Manufacturers design tires to grip the road, ensuring motorists can navigate safely even in wet conditions. Unfortunately, tire grip can work against a driver in a side rollover by causing a sliding vehicle to tip over.
Ultimately, any motor vehicle could roll over under the right circumstances. That said, some vehicles are more likely than others to tip and roll. Taller and narrower vehicles like SUVs are typically more top-heavy, making them more likely to flip and roll. The higher a vehicle’s center of gravity, the more likely a rollover accident is.
Rollovers not preceded by a collision often occur when drivers lose control attempting to navigate a turn at high speed. When drivers turn sharply, they often overcorrect, which can cause a vehicle to turn sideways. Any vehicle sliding sideways is at risk of rolling over and crashing.
There are multiple ways a rollover could involve another driver. For example, a side-impact crash where one motorist strikes another vehicle’s side with the front of their car could cause the struck vehicle to roll. This type of accident commonly happens at intersections when one driver ignores a traffic signal or stop sign.
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Common Injuries in a Rollover
Several reasons explain the severity of rollover accident injuries. One of the main factors is the repeated impacts that occur in this type of crash. Each time the vehicle rolls, one side collides with the ground. Each of these impacts has the potential to injure the vehicle’s occupants.
These injuries are also frequently severe due to the part of the car that absorbs most of the impact. While manufacturers design the front and back ends of most vehicles to absorb a major impact, the top is not as sturdy. Given the weakness of this part of the car, an impact on the roof is more likely to result in trauma to the vehicle’s occupants.
Given the severity of these collisions, a rollover crash can injure virtually any part of the body. Some of the common injuries that can result from a rollover crash include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Neck injuries
- Paralysis
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Burns
- Amputation
- Internal bleeding
- Tendon and ligament damage
- Back injuries
In many cases, these injuries can result in life-altering effects for a motorist. When these accidents happen due to another party’s negligence, a Miami rollover accident lawyer might be able to help. If you suffered severe injuries in a rollover crash, contact Ben Crump Law, PLLC, to discuss your options.
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Liability and Your Accident Claim
An injury claim stemming from a rollover accident is a civil action, not a criminal case. This distinction is essential, as the burden of proving a civil case is much lower. While the court will not require that you prove your case beyond a reasonable doubt, you will need strong evidence of the at-fault party’s negligence at the time of the crash.
In general, there are four steps to proving negligence. First, you must establish that the other driver owed you a duty of reasonable care. This is usually straightforward in a car accident, as all drivers owe each other a duty to drive carefully.
Second, you will need to establish that the at-fault motorist violated that duty. There are countless ways they could do that, including aggressive driving, running a red light, or driving while intoxicated.
Third, you must establish a link between your injuries in a rollover accident to the at-fault motorist’s actions. You can only recover compensation for injuries caused by the defendant’s breach.
Finally, your injuries must result in compensable damages. These can include anything from medical bills to lost wages, repair bills to pain and suffering. In many rollover accidents, these damages have the potential to be significant.
Keep in mind that you only can file a personal injury lawsuit under Florida Statutes § 627.737 if your damages exceed your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage or you suffer permanent injuries or disability.
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You Could Recover Compensation After a Rollover Accident
Given the injuries that can result from a rollover accident, the prospect of pursuing a lawsuit might not be foremost on your mind immediately after a crash. Despite the challenges that can come with legal action, any delay could work against you, as you have only four years to file your case under Florida Statutes § 95.11.
You might want to contact a Miami rollover accident lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your case. Call Ben Crump Law, PLLC, today at (844) 730-0233 for your free case evaluation with a team member.
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