Rollovers

Vehicle rollovers happen in only a small fraction of all serious accidents, yet they are responsible for nearly one-third of accident-related fatalities.  Two types of design flaws usually contribute to the devastating injuries brought on when a car rolls over.  The first flaw is faulty design, usually in the suspension; the second is a poorly designed roof that crushes on impact, causing serious harm in nearly every instance of a rollover. 

The decision of some automakers to weigh profit margins more heavily than human safety appears to be responsible for many of these devastating accidents.  Electronic stability control (ESC) is an existing technology that minimizes loss of control and could prevent most rollovers, yet it is still not installed in many vehicles.  Moreover, car makers regularly cut costs on materials in the roof to save money, making them more likely to crush the occupants in a rollover.  Manufacturers of taller, top-heavy vehicles, such as trucks, vans, and SUVs, should be especially diligent in their design specifications regarding the possibility of a rollover, and manufacture the cabin to protect the occupants in the event of such an accident.

While tire failure or defective tires do indeed cause accidents, they should not cause a rollover.  It is true that on a sharp turn, automobiles with a high center of gravity can "trip" over themselves, when the tire deforms and the rim hits the pavement, causing a rollover.  However, this can happen with healthy tires, and is a defect in the overall design of the automobile and not the manufacturing of a particular tire.  If the right type of tire is on your vehicle, a rollover should not occur.  For this reason, it is important to maintain the right type of tires; an expensive, "high-performance" tire may be marketed to make your vehicle more "sporty," but it may not be the safest choice.

The trial attorneys at Langdon & Emison are familiar with virtually every type of rollover accident, and handle cases stemming from side-impact, sharp turn, head-on, or rear-end accidents which can cause serious personal injuries or wrongful deaths.  If you or a loved one has been involved in one of these devastating tragedies, contact the lawyers at Langdon & Emison today for a free consultation to discuss your case.