Rollover accidents are among the deadliest and most emotionally traumatic car accidents due to the terrifying nature of a vehicle flipping over and rolling one or more times in a crash. Rollover accident scenes are chaotic and confusing, often with multiple serious injuries or fatalities. Rollover accidents can happen to any vehicle type under the wrong circumstances, but they are substantially more common in taller vehicles such as commercial trucks, vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks.
A rollover accident is serious and the aftermath of the accident requires careful handling so injury victims recover the compensation they need to move forward.
Understanding Rollover Accidents in New Haven
When auto manufacturers design tall vehicles, the size of average road lanes constrains them from broadening the wheelbases to accommodate the greater height. The result is a vehicle with a high center of gravity and a greater likelihood of tipping and rolling in an accident. Common causes of vehicle rollovers include the following:
Speeding around curves
Uneven road surfaces
Roadway departures, especially when deep ditches or steep inclines are present on the shoulder of the road
Roadway obstacles
Sideswipe accidents causing loss of control
Unbalanced loads
Sudden turns
Tire blowouts
Distracted driving, aggressive driving, speeding, and hauling unsecured or unbalanced loads increase the chances of experiencing a vehicle rollover accident.
Injuries in New Haven Rollover Accidents
When a vehicle tips and rolls, it sustains damage on all sides, including the roof. This places vehicle occupants at risk of crush injuries and injuries caused by the structures of the vehicle crumpling inward at multiple angles. Common injuries in rollover accidents include:
Traumatic brain injuries
Facial trauma
Neck injuries
Back injuries
Fractures
Skull fractures
Internal organ damage
Crush injuries
Spinal cord damage
Burns
Soft tissue injuries
Bruises, lacerations, and abrasions
Traumatic limb loss
Decapitation
Wrongful death
Rollover accidents typically result in serious long-term consequences for survivors and their families. These economic and non-economic consequences are the “damages” in a compensation claim against the party at fault for the rollover accident.
Liability in Vehicle Rollover Accidents in New Haven
Proving liability for a rollover accident requires a substantial investigation. In some cases, multiple parties are at fault, including a negligent or reckless driver, the vehicle manufacturer for a defective vehicle design, or a negligent road-planning or road maintenance agency for creating a hazardous road condition. Proving liability requires showing that the at-fault party owed a general duty of care to others on the road to follow traffic laws and take reasonable measures to avoid causing accidents and injuries to others; they breached this duty of care, and the breach of duty directly caused the accident.
How a Rollover Car Accident Attorney in New Haven Can Help
After a rollover accident, injury victims need to focus on healing from severe physical and emotional trauma. Taking on the legal complexities of a car accident claim can be daunting. The experienced New Haven car accident attorneys at Weber & Rubano are ready to give your case the individualized strategy, persistence, and attention to detail required for the best possible outcome. Call our New Haven law firm today so we can hear about your case and take action.