Rollover accidents are arguably the most devastating type of car accidents on Pennsylvania roads, as this type of car crashes often results in life-threatening injuries and fatalities.
In a rollover accident, a vehicle rolls onto its roof or side after hitting an object, colliding with another vehicle or abruptly swerving or turning. “In many of these accidents, the driver and passengers are partially or fully ejected from the vehicle, which often leads to death,” says our Allentown Rollover Car Accident Attorney at The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C.
How Common Are Rollover Accidents?
Statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that an estimated one in five vehicles involved in fatal car accidents experiences a rollover. In other words, each year, nearly 250,000 vehicles get into a rollover accident across the United States. In these crashes, about 10,000 Americans die each year.
The vast majority of victims of rollover accidents improve their chances of recovery by hiring an Experienced Rollover Car Accident Attorney in Allentown or elsewhere in Pennsylvania. Here at The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C., our skilled Car Crash Lawyers in Allentown can help you prove that the other party was at fault for causing the crash.
Handling a Personal Injury Claim after a rollover accident, paying for all your damages and losses, and, at the same time, focusing on your recovery can feel overwhelming. In fact, all the hustle, paperwork, and stress surrounding your legal case will most likely take a toll on your health, which can have a negative impact on your recovery.
SUVs vs. Passenger Vehicles in Rollover Accidents
Statistically speaking, wearing a seatbelt reduces the risk of dying in a rollover accident by up to 75 percent. Interestingly, nearly 85 percent of all rollover accident fatalities occur in single-vehicle crashes.
Sport utility vehicles (SUVs), semi-trucks, and pickups are more likely to get into rollover accidents than passenger cars. In fact, SUVs are responsible for experiencing the vast majority of all rollovers due to their design.
More than half of all fatal car accidents involving SUVs are caused by rollovers. For the sake of comparison, only about 25 percent of all Fatal Car Accidents involving passenger vehicles are caused by rollovers.
How Do Rollover Accidents Occur?
Causes of rollover car accidents vary greatly, but the vast majority of these devastating crashes are caused by the following factors:
- Vehicle type. As we have mentioned earlier, SUVs, pickups, and semi-trucks are more likely to get into rollover accidents because they are tall and narrow vehicles with a high center of gravity.
- Speed. Traveling at a high speed combined with abrupt swerving or turning is a recipe for a rollover accident. The risk of a rollover accident increases tenfold when a vehicle is traveling at a speed of 50mph or higher.
- Alcohol or drugs. Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or drugs substantially increases the risk of a rollover accident, because operating a vehicle while impaired negatively affects the motorist’s coordination, reflexes, and judgement, increasing the likelihood of driving above the speed limit and abruptly swerving.
- Distracted driving. Getting distracted and not paying enough attention to the road increases the risk of a rollover accident, partially because a Distracted Driver is more likely to be forced to make sudden and sharp maneuvers when attempting to avoid colliding with a road hazard, which the driver would have seen had he or she not been distracted.
- Poor road conditions. A large percentage of rollover accidents are caused by vehicles hitting potholes, ramps, curbs, cracks in the pavement, and other road hazards. Also weather conditions such as snow, ice, and rain increase the risk of a rollover crash.
Depending on the nature of your case, you may have a claim against a public or government entity responsible for the maintenance of the section of the road where your rollover accident occurred. Talk to our Allentown Rollover Car Accident Lawyer from The Law Offices of Greg Prosmushkin, P.C., to discuss your case. Call our offices at (215)-799-9990 for a Free Case Evaluation.