Chicago Vehicle Rollover Lawyers
A vehicle rollover is said to have occurred if the vehicle tips onto its side or roof in the event of a crash. Rollovers have the potential to cause catastrophic injuries or even death. Many rollovers lead to occupants being partially or fully ejected from the vehicle, which increases the likelihood of major injury or death. Vehicle rollovers are relatively rare. They occur in less than 3 percent of all crashes. But rollover crashes account for more than one-third of traffic accident fatalities. According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS), in 2008, 25,428 passenger vehicle occupants died in all types of traffic accidents. Of those 9,023 died in rollover crashes.
What Causes Rollovers?
A majority of vehicle rollovers occur when the driver loses control of the vehicle and it begins to slide sideways. The vehicle could then hit another object such as a curb or a guardrail and tip over. Rollovers also tend to occur when a driver overcorrects a vehicle or tries to take evasive action. The forces in a multi-vehicle crash can also result in a rollover. However, about 75 percent of vehicle rollover crashes involve only one vehicle. More than half of all occupants killed in single-vehicle crashes are involved in rollovers.
SUV Rollovers
Rollovers are far more common in SUVs and light pickup trucks than in cars and other passenger vehicles. According to IIHS, 58 percent of SUV occupants killed in crashes were in vehicles that rolled over. Pickups and SUVs are more prone to rollovers because of their physical difference. For example, SUVs are taller than cars and have greater ground clearance causing their mass to be distributed higher off the road relative to the width of the vehicle. These vehicles have a higher center of gravity and a narrower track width, which makes them more prone to rollovers. Sometimes, driver behavior may contribute to higher number of SUV rollovers. These vehicles are more likely to be driven on rural roads where rollovers occur more frequently. Also, lower seatbelt use among pickup truck occupants means that they are more susceptible to serious or fatal injuries.
Can Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Help Reduce Rollovers?
ESC is basically a vehicle control system consisting of sensors, brakes and a microcomputer that continually checks how well a vehicle responds to a driver's steering input. When the sensors indicate that the vehicle is leaving the intended line of travel, ESC applies the brake pressure needed to bring the vehicle back on track. ESC has been found to have reduced solo rollover crashes by 51 percent. It could reduce the risk of rollovers among SUVs by 75 percents and by 72 percent for other passenger vehicles.
Liability Issues in Rollover Crashes
A number of rollover crashes occur because of defective design. Auto makers have had the design and technology to make safer SUVs for decades. But they have done nothing about it because of the costs involved. The auto industry continues to put profits before people. The increasing number of vehicle rollovers we see today is the result of the auto industry's reluctance to make safer and better cars.
If you have been injured in a vehicle rollover accident due to design flaws or defective auto products such as flawed tires, seatbelts or seatbacks, please contact the experienced Chicago traffic accident lawyers at The Bradley Law Firm to get more information about pursuing your legal rights.