Rollover Accidents
Although rollover accidents are rare, they can sometimes be deadly. Even though 3 out of 100 accidents are rollovers, 30 percent of all traffic fatalities occur in a rollover accident. If you are involved in a rollover accident, most likely you or your passengers will suffer a severe or fatal injury.
When the tires of a truck or car hit something like a soft shoulder, bump or curb, it is called tripping. The vehicle’s momentum makes it roll over sideways or end-over-end. Only 15 percent of auto accidents involve more than one car. Some 95 percent of all single vehicle accidents are the result of tripping. Some factors that cause rollover accidents are slick roads due to bad weather, tire blowouts, poor vehicle design and having to avoid other motorists. Potholes and other bumps also create rollover accidents. Attempting to drive around and avoid a pothole can also cause the car to trip.
Suburban Utility Vehicles, or SUVs, roll over more often than other vehicles. That’s because they have a high center of gravity. Pick-up trucks and minivans have the second and third highest rate of rollover accidents.
Many times drivers and passengers who are in a rollover accident get thrown from their vehicle. Or the roof collapses onto them. Usually resulting in death or severe injuries including:
- Brain injury
- Fractured neck
- Suffocation
- Amputations
- Internal Injuries
- Coma
- Fractured and broken bones
- Paralysis
- Spinal cord injury
- Head trauma
There are times you may not know what caused the rollover accident. It could be a defective tire, poor streets or a combination of the two. They normally happen in an instant with no warning signs. However, there is always a reason. If you hire an attorney to file a claim for you, the firm will send out investigators to examine the scene of the accident and the vehicle in question.
New Jersey Electronic Stability Control Lawyers
Top heavy SUVs, minivans, and trucks are more likely to be involved in rollover accidents. For this reason, newer models of these vehicles are equipped with electronic stability control (ESC). ESC is designed to instantly shift breaking to individual wheels to prevent a vehicle from skidding or rolling over. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, this feature has reduced single-vehicle SUV accidents by nearly 60 percent.
Almost 85% of rollovers are single vehicle accidents.
Nearly all single vehicle accidents happen when the driver loses control of the vehicle, often when performing evasive maneuvers to avoid hitting and animal, when negotiating curves in the road, or in icy conditions. The most common cause of single vehicle rollovers is known as “tripping”. It happens when one of your tires strikes an object, such as a curb or soft shoulder, tripping the vehicle. Because of their high center of gravity, SUVs are more prone to tripping. ESC cannot stop a rollover once a vehicle has tripped, but it can prevent the vehicle from sliding or spinning into a tripping object. Sensors detect the movement of the vehicle and tires and the road conditions. When ESC detects that the vehicle is going out of control, it reduces engine power. It selectively applies the brakes to individual wheels, and sometimes uses acceleration, to get the vehicle back in line and under control.
ESC does all of this on its own. It is not activated or controlled by the driver. In most cases the devices reduce the likelihood of a rollover. They are not, however, a substitute for good driving. When they fail or malfunction, they leave you unprotected.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation
If you or someone you love has suffered a serious injury or died in a rollover accident, call our rollover accident lawyers at the office of O’Connor, Parsons, Lane & Noble. We will send someone out to examine the scene and vehicle involved. You can simply Contact us online or call (908) 928-9200 or 1-800-586-5817 for a free no obligation consultation.