Vehicle Rollover Accidents
Few accidents are as terrifying and destructive as a vehicle rollover. In a rollover accident, a vehicle tips onto its side or roof during a crash. When a car or truck rolls, its structure collapses inward, often resulting in blunt force trauma to multiple parts of the body. Rollover accidents are more common in pickups and SUVs but remain less common than two-car collisions; however, rollover accidents cause a higher percentage of fatalities. More than 10,000 motorists die in rollover accidents in the U.S. each year.
What Causes Rollover Accidents In Georgia?
Rollover accidents are more common in top-heavy vehicles, like SUVs, pickup trucks, and commercial trucks. Due to lane size restrictions, vehicle manufacturers cannot expand the wheelbase of tall vehicles to provide better balance, making them more likely to tip and roll in an accident. Common causes of rollover accidents include:
- Speeding
- Taking curves or turns too fast
- Striking an obstacle or curb
- Roadway departure
- “Vehicle tripping” when the tires on one side of the road leave the road and hit uneven terrain, an incline, or an obstacle
- Tire blowouts
- Distracted driving
- Sideswipes
- Overcorrection
- Unbalanced cargo
- Impaired driving
Hazardous road conditions such as slippery or icy roads, uneven lanes, and road construction commonly cause or contribute to rollover accidents in Georgia.
Who Is Liable In Rollover Accidents?
In fault-based insurance states like Georgia, an accident victim seeking compensation for damages must file a claim against the driver or other party responsible for the accident. In rollover accidents, another driver may be at fault if they caused the accident through a sideswipe or other careless action that resulted in another driver losing control. Other common liable parties in rollover car accidents include negligent road construction agencies and the manufacturer of a poorly designed vehicle or defective car part.
Preventing Rollover Accidents
Choosing a type of vehicle less commonly associated with rollovers such as low cars with broader wheelbases helps prevent rollover crashes in Georgia and elsewhere. SUVs and pickup trucks with high safety ratings may be less likely to roll compared to other models. To avoid rollover accidents, it’s important to drive the speed limit, slow down for curves, secure well-balanced loads, and double-check blind spots to prevent unsafe lane changes.
Wearing seatbelts and having functional airbags helps to reduce the chances of death in a rollover accident.
What Damages Can I Recover In a Rollover Accident In Georgia?
Rollover accidents can cause severe bodily trauma as a motorist experiences crash force on all sides of their body at the same time that the vehicle collapses inward, causing blunt force trauma. Common damages recovered in rollover accident claims include the following:
- Property damage
- Past and future medical expenses
- Past and future income loss
- Diminished earning capacity due to disability
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for other damages such as loss of limb, loss of vision or hearing, disfigurement, or loss of enjoyment of life.
If a loved one dies in a rollover accident caused by someone else, close family members can recover compensation through a wrongful death claim. Seek expert legal help from an experienced car accident lawyer in Atlanta to learn how to file a claim and recover compensation.
How Can a Car Accident Attorney In Georgia Help?
It is sometimes difficult to recover compensation in rollover accident claims because they are often single-vehicle accidents; however, when the cause of the accident is another driver, a careless road construction crew, or another negligent party, an experienced car accident lawyer can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call an Atlanta personal injury attorney at Piasta Walker Hagenbush, LLC today for skilled legal counsel for your Georgia rollover accident claim.