A rollover accident is any crash that causes a vehicle to tip out of control. If it ends up on its roof or side, the vehicle has been in a rollover accident. These crashes are more common with taller vehicles, which tend to be a bit top-heavier.
These are often very serious accidents. It takes a lot of force to cause this kind of flip, and it exposes those inside to a significant number of potential dangers they wouldn’t have faced in a more traditional accident. For example, someone’s head may only have hit an airbag in a front-end crash, but their head could strike the dashboard or the side window in a rollover crash.
Why do these accidents happen?
Some of the inherent qualities of the car are going to play a role in how likely these accidents are. Taller vehicles are more likely to roll, whereas this type of crash is rather uncommon with small passenger vehicles. Here are some specific reasons for rollover crashes:
- A side collision, especially if a taller vehicle gets T-boned
- Crashing at a high rate of speed
- Losing control of the vehicle so that it turns sideways
- Driving in inclement weather – for instance, rain, ice, and snow can all make it more likely that a vehicle will roll, especially as it slides off of the road
- Taking a very sharp turn. Some vehicles, like the Jeep Wrangler, have specific warnings against this conduct
These accidents also happen when a car “trips.” This means that the vehicle’s balance was thrown off because one tire came in contact with another item. This could include a curb, a ditch or another vehicle. The car doesn’t have time to regain its balance, so it rolls from the force of the impact.
Do you deserve financial compensation?
You may have been involved in a rollover accident that someone else caused. If their negligent actions lead to serious injuries, be sure you know about all of the legal options you have at your disposal. You may be able to seek compensation for lost wages, medical bills and much more.