According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), only a very small percentage of car crashes in 2010 – less than 3% – were due to rollovers. But rollovers can cause severe injuries because consumer vehicles aren’t designed for them. And the consequences can be severe: Rollover accidents can force the victim to face huge medical bills while at the same time having lost their job due to an event that they had no responsibility for.
If you or a loved one is facing this predicament, you likely will need an excellent New Jersey rollover accident attorney to help you gain the compensation you’ll need to pay those bills plus the costs of living while out of work, therapies for your recovery, other financial losses due to the accident, and damages for the emotional and physical toll that your injuries took on your life and your family. As an accomplished personal injury law firm with over 50 years of dedicated experience, we serve clients in Hamilton, Robbinsville, West Windsor, Trenton, Princeton, Hamilton, Pennington, Titusville, Burlington, Middlesex, Mercer County and throughout NJ. Call Cohen & Riechelson today at (609) 528-2596 to schedule a free initial consultation regarding your rollover vehicle accident case.
A rollover accident occurs when a vehicle flips onto its side or roof. This can happen to any kind of vehicle, but most of these accidents occur with pickup trucks or SUVs because of their high center of gravity.
Of the 280,000 rollover accidents that occur each year, more than 10,000 people are killed, according to the NHTSA. That’s because occupants are likely to be ejected from the vehicle. The death rate would be substantially lower if people wore seat belts – 69% of the deaths were among people who had no belts on. According to the NHTSA, fatalities in rollover accidents occur most frequently in SUVs (57%), then pickup trucks (at 47%), vans (30%), and passenger cars (23%).
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a rollover may be caused by impact with a vehicle or with a stationary object. A number of rollovers happen when a vehicle leaves the road. However, a large number of vehicles (24%) roll over without having hit anything at all.
A vehicle tends to rollover when it:
All this said the NHTSA reports that almost 85% of all rollover fatalities happen in crashes of a single vehicle, meaning that no other vehicle was involved. This implies driver error plays a large role:
Accidents involving rollovers often result in injuries to the neck, head, and spine, highly vulnerable parts of the body. These types of accidents also cause injuries to every other part of the body—ribs, abdomen and internal organs, and limbs. These injuries can be so severe that they lead to long periods of mental health and physical health problems—or even death.
There can be a number of impacts that affect your life long-term, including:
As always, safety experts advise us to slow down. Other measures to take include:
This is likely a difficult question. Human error is often a factor. But there are others. Even though the NHTSA sets high standards for the safe design of SUVs, pickups, and vans, not all auto manufacturers follow the standards. The accident could also be the fault of a government entity in charge of roads, manufacturers, or other corporations.
Determining who is responsible can be a chaotic, litigious issue. Add into the mix your insurance company, which may add to the stress and confusion. You need an attorney to protect your rights in a situation like this.
In spite of exercising caution and adhering to the safety suggestions outlined above, you may have experienced a rollover accident. Should you hire a lawyer?
The biggest reason to do so is that auto insurers will, in all likelihood, lowball you by offering you a settlement that is way below your expense level. Another reason to hire a lawyer is that the legal system is complex, and you will need help to navigate the system.
Also, you may still be recovering from your injuries and don’t have the time, energy, or health to file a lawsuit and strengthen your case. An experienced rollover accident lawyer can do this for you, however, and can help you hold the responsible party to account and help you gain compensation.
If you or someone you love has experienced a rollover accident and have been injured – or if someone was killed – the personal injury attorneys at Cohen & Riechelson can help you navigate a wrongful death or personal injury case. You will need experienced help steering between claims agents, the courts, insurers, manufacturers, and whoever else is involved in the claim in Lambertville, Woodbridge, Trenton, Ewing, Edison, South Brunswick, Hopewell, and towns in Mercer County, Middlesex County, Burlington County, throughout New Jersey.
Our law firm is standing by and backed with the trusted, proven exceptional experience to help you seek maximum compensation for rollover accident-related injuries. Call us today at (609) 528-2596 or complete the case review request for a free consultation.