Rollover Accidents Often Fatal Says Boca Car Accident Lawyer Joe Osborne

Rollover accidents are relatively rare but cause more than a third of all fatalities in passenger vehicle accidents says Boca car accident lawyer Joe Osborne.

Rollover accidents are dangerous incidents that have a higher fatality rate than other types of crashes. These truck and car accidents can happen with any type of vehicle but became widely known in the 1980’s when SUV’s often equipped with defective tires were involved in a number of accidents. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a rollover in South Florida Boca car accident lawyer Joe Osborne may be able to help.

An example of this type of accident occurred in West Palm Beach last month. It seriously injured a Fort Lauderdale firefighter, Sauvens "Vince" Castelly, who was seriously injured last month when his vehicle was struck by another, sending his car into a tree and the car rolled over onto its side, according to NBC6. His union started a GoFundMe page to help support Castelly and his family. It states that because of his injuries he needed a pacemaker, suffered multiple broken bones and will need two spinal surgeries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that of the nearly 9.1 million passenger car, SUV, pickup and van accidents in 2010, only 2.1% involved a rollover but those accidents caused nearly 35% of all deaths in passenger vehicle crashes. In 2010 more than 7,600 people were killed in rollovers and most of them (69%) weren’t wearing seatbelts.

Rollover accidents are “complex crash incidents” according to NHTSA and they can be particularly violent. The agency states the type of vehicle plays a significant role in causing the crash and other factors include the driver’s behavior, road and environmental conditions.

• Vehicle type: Those with higher centers of gravity such as those that are taller and more narrow like SUV’s, pickups and vans are more likely to rollover if they’re involved in a single vehicle accident.
• Speed: Fatal rollover crashes are more likely to involve fast moving vehicles. About 40% of fatal rollovers involved excess speed. Nearly three-quarters of rollovers causing fatalities happened where the speed limit was at least 55 miles per hour.
• Alcohol: Nearly half of all fatal rollover crashes involve alcohol use by the driver.
• Location: Rural roads, which are often undivided and lacking barriers are more likely to be the location of a deadly rollover. About three-quarters of fatal rollovers take place in rural areas where the speed limit is normally at least 55 miles per hour.
• Routine driving: More than 90% of vehicles involved in fatal, single vehicle rollover accidents were engaged in routine driving maneuvers (going straight or negotiating a curve) at the time of the crash. NHTSA states this suggests that driver behavior (distraction, inattentiveness, speeding and impaired driving) can be a significant cause of rollover crashes.
• Single vehicle crashes: Nearly 85% of rollover-related deaths are caused in single-vehicle crashes. Since most of these crashes and fatalities don’t involve other vehicles it appears driver behavior plays a significant role in rollover crashes.

NHTSA states that 95% of single vehicle rollovers accidents are “tripped” which happens when the vehicle leaves the roadway, slides sideways, digs its tires into soft soil or strikes an object like a curb or guardrail causing it to trip over. The rest of the rollovers mostly happen with top-heavy vehicles, often travelling at high speed and the driver tries to steer clear of a hazard of accident, causing the vehicle to roll over.

If you or a loved one suffered an injury caused in a rollover accident, contact Boca car accident lawyer Joe Osborne at (561) 293-2600 or fill out this online contact form. You can discuss your case, how the law may apply and your best legal options to protect your rights and obtain compensation for your injuries.