Vehicle Rollover Injuries and Deaths Continue to Occur

Van and SUV rollover cases have been in the news for so long that many people may assume the danger of these vehicles rolling over has been resolved. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Thousands of American citizens are killed or seriously injured every year in vehicle rollovers.

In an average year, crashes in which a vehicle rolls over account for more than half of all single-vehicle crash deaths. Vehicle rollover crashes are especially serious because they so often result in head injuries. Head trauma is the most frequent type of fatal and nonfatal injury in rollovers. The high fatality and injury rates in rollovers are due in part to the high percentage of rollover crashes in which passengers are ejected from their vehicles. Ejections account for more than 60 percent of all fatalities in rollover crashes, and often result in costly and debilitating head injuries. This is another reason you should wear your seatbelt every time you drive or ride in any vehicle. Make certain everyone else in the vehicle is wearing a seatbelt also. There is absolutely no excuse not to wear a seatbelt at all times when driving or riding in an automobile or truck.

These rollovers can be caused by defective tires, tire tread separation, defective design of the vehicle itself, or a combination of these and other factors. Trucks, vans and SUVs are especially dangerous, due to their increased height. Furthermore, since trucks, vans and SUVs are not classified as "passenger vehicles," they do not have to meet the same safety regulations as cars and station wagons.

Sport utility vehicles have the highest rate of deaths occurring in rollovers. Vehicles such as the Ford Explorer, Ford Bronco, Toyota 4 Runner, Isuzu Rodeo, and Honda Passport have been involved in many SUV rollovers that have resulted in serious injuries and death. SUV rollovers are almost three times more likely to occur than rollovers of the average passenger car, and government tests indicate the most stable SUV is still more unstable than the most unstable automobile. SUVs simply have specific design defects that make them more likely than other vehicles to roll over during a crash, and thus cause serious injury. However, other trucks and vans can be just as dangerous.

Fifteen-person passenger vans have an especially dubious safety history. Their side-impact protection and structural integrity in roll-overs has been questioned, and they are known to handle poorly when fully loaded. The extra weight of the passengers in a fully-loaded van moves the center of gravity higher and farther to the rear of the vehicle, making the van more difficult to control in emergency maneuvers.Our law firm frankly advises people not to ride in a fifteen-person van if there is any possible alternative. Serious injuries and deaths have been reported for these vans, among others:

● Ford: Econoline E-350, Club Wagon E350, Super Club Wagon

● Chevrolet: Express 3500

● Dodge: Ram Wagon B350, Van B3500, 3500 Van

● GMC: Savanna G3500, Vandura G3500

If you or a loved one has been injured in a vehicle rollover, please contact our law firm as soon as possible. We may be able to help you, but gaining access to the vehicle is critical. Do not wait! We must be able to secure the vehicle before other persons accidentally or purposefully alter vital parts of the vehicle, and before rain or other natural processes make it impossible to reconstruct the vehicle's exact condition at the instant of the collision.