Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Horrifying Truths about Rollover Accidents

Los Angeles is a busy city, full of various motor vehicles traveling around the area. For this reason, accidents happen frequently, and it usually results in various injuries, ranging from mild to serious ones, or even death.

Rollover accident is one type of accident that takes place everyday in the city. It is also considered as a fatal motor vehicle accident.

A rollover accident occurs when a vehicle, usually a sports utility vehicle or SUV, turns over onto its side or roof. All types of motor vehicles is capable of rolling over. However, those automobiles that have a high center of gravity, such as pickups and SUVs, are more susceptible to be involved in such an accident.

It is of much importance for a victim to get the services of an expert lawyer after being involved in a rollover accident. A lawyer can safeguard important evidences and commence an investigation as soon as possible. Cases of rollover accidents are some of the most costly and demanding cases to deal with. Your lawyer must have enough experience in handling rollover accidents so that your case will be successful.

Facts about Rollover Accidents

Here are some facts regarding rollover accidents in 2004 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, revealing the true deadly nature of single vehicle rollover crashes:

• 2.7% of occupants who were involved in rollover accidents were killed.

• Only .2% of the occupants were killed in crashes in which the vehicle did not roll over.

• 3% of all motor vehicles that were involved in crashes rolled over.

• 33% of all fatalities that occurred as a result of these crashes were in rollover accidents.

• The rate of occupants who suffered incapacitating injuries in rollover accidents was a considerable 11% in sports utility vehicles (SUVs), pickups, and passenger cars, and 8% in vans.

The following are some details on a report last March 2007 from the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA), showing a rise in the number of rollover accidents:

• An astonishing 275,637 passenger motor vehicles were involved in rollover accidents. This is a 16% rise from 1994.

• Nearly 10,553 people were killed in 2004 in rollover accidents involving sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and other motor vehicles. This is a 17.5% increase from 2004. This stands in utter contrast to the fact that the number of victims who were killed in accidents in which the motor vehicle did not roll over was down 3.6% in the same time period.

Single Vehicle Rollover Accidents

Rollover accidents are usually single car crashes. In fact, 75% of all rollover incidents occur in single car accidents, according to the Insurance for Highway Safety.

These single vehicle rollover accidents typically happen after a driver loses control of the motor vehicle and starts to slide sideways, such as in icy conditions or snow. While the vehicle slides, it may possibly "trip" on some kind of object and begin to roll over.

Some of the most common factors that cause motor vehicles, such as SUVs, to trip and roll over include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Soft road shoulders

• Uneven ground

• Roadside objects

• Curbs

• Guardrails

Around 95% of all rollover accidents are "tripped", according to the NHTSA.

Getting Help

It is important to get legal assistance from professionals who can help you. There are skilled lawyers in Los Angeles who have more than enough skills and knowledge to represent you in your case.

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