Rollover accidents are some of the most catastrophic accidents in Long Beach because vehicle occupants involved in rollover accidents often suffer crush injuries from the roof collapsing and caving in or are ejected from the vehicle while it’s rolling. If you have been injured in a serious Long Beach rollover accident, your ability to recover compensation may depend a great deal on who you choose to represent your claim. It is imperative that you find an attorney who has experience with personal injury claims in Long Beach and who won’t rest until you reach a successful conclusion in your case. Our personal injury lawyers at DAG Law Firm are committed to helping innocent victims of car accidents throughout Long Beach and will work tirelessly to represent your rights to the fullest extent of the law. Contact DAG Law Firm today to explore your legal options.
Affordable Long Beach Rollover Accident Attorneys
Rollover accidents are fairly rare – they account for only about three percent of all traffic accidents in the United States – but that doesn’t mean they aren’t a serious problem. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are still more than 280,000 rollover accidents reported every year, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths annually. Sadly, many of these accidents are caused by the negligence, recklessness or intentional act of other motorists who fail to practice safety behind the wheel, and may others are caused by defective vehicles and auto parts. Our rollover accident attorneys at DAG Law Firm understand the importance of finding out who is responsible for your rollover accident so you can collect the damages you deserve and your family can begin to recover.
Injuries Resulting from a Long Beach Rollover Accident
All car accidents can result in serious or fatal injuries, but rollovers are particularly devastating for vehicle occupants, due to the violent nature of this type of accident. A rollover accident occurs when a vehicle tips over onto its side or roof and rolls over, causing injuries primarily to the head, neck, abdomen, thorax, and upper and lower limbs, with the head and neck areas being the most vulnerable. Injuries resulting from a rollover accident can vary depending on the circumstances of the accident, but may include:
- Spinal cord injury
- Internal bleeding
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injury
- Head injury
- Back injury
- Fractures
- Crush injuries
- Neck injury
- Soft tissue injuries
- Lacerations and bruises
- Whiplash
- Wrongful death
These injuries can be caused by colliding with another vehicle or obstacle in the road, contact with jagged metal or broken glass, impact with unsecured cargo inside the vehicle, or by being ejected from the vehicle or tossed around inside the vehicle. Because of the tendency for a vehicle roof to cave in while rolling over, rollovers have a higher fatality rate than other types of accidents. In fact, while vehicle rollovers occur in only three percent of all motor vehicle accidents, they account for about 30% of fatalities involving passenger vehicles.
Common Types of Rollover Accidents
Any vehicle can roll over in an accident, but taller, narrower vehicles like pickup trucks, SUVs and vans have high centers of gravity and are therefore more vulnerable to rollover accidents. According to the NHTSA, 95% of single-vehicle rollover accidents occur when the vehicle is “tripped,” meaning the vehicle slides sideways off the roadway and encounters soft soil or a guardrail and the force on the tires causes the vehicle to overturn. There is also such thing as an un-tripped rollover accident, which only occurs in 5% of cases. Instead of an object serving as a tripping mechanism in the accident, un-tripped rollovers typically occur when a top-heavy vehicle is traveling at high speeds. According to statistics, speed is believed to be a factor in about 40% of rollover accidents and alcohol use is believed to be a factor in about 50%. Additionally, roughly 75% of vehicle rollovers occur in rural areas where the speed limit is 55 mph or higher.
Determining Liability in Long Beach Rollover Accidents
There are a number of factors that come into play in Long Beach vehicle rollover accidents, including driver behavior, the road, the vehicle and environmental conditions, such as inclement weather or an improperly maintained roadway. Because of this, it can be difficult to determine who is at fault when a rollover accident occurs, which is a critical component in recovering the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Establishing fault in a vehicle rollover accident involves proving that the negligent party, whoever that may be, owed a legal duty to the accident victim, that the party breached that duty, and that this breach caused the victim’s injuries.
Rollover accidents are unique in that they are often single-vehicle accidents, meaning no other drivers or vehicles were involved. This makes it easy for people to point the finger at the driver when considering the cause of the accident, but driver error doesn’t always come into play. In Long Beach rollover accidents caused by a defective automobile or auto part, for example, the manufacturer of the car as well as the manufacturer of the faulty part may both be held accountable for your injuries. If your rollover accident was caused by another driver who cut you off and made you swerve, which caused your car to roll over, that driver may be liable for damages.
Seeking Compensation for Rollover Accident Injuries
Our attorneys at DAG Law Firm have years of experience protecting the rights of Long Beach car accident victims and can significantly improve your chances of obtaining the maximum compensation you are entitled to, either from your insurance company, from another at-fault party’s insurance company, or through a personal injury claim. If your attorney can successfully establish that a negligent driver or defective automobile or auto part caused your rollover accident, you will likely recover damages. Victims of Long Beach rollover accidents can pursue financial compensation for costly medical bills, lost wages, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional trauma and rehabilitation, and the victim’s spouse may be able to recover additional damages for loss of consortium.
Free Rollover Accident Consultation in Long Beach
Rollover accidents are by far the deadliest traffic risk facing SUV and truck drivers in Long Beach, and while many rollover accidents are caused by speeding and overcorrection, there are other issues that may contribute to this type of accident, including defective tires, faulty automobile design and the negligence of other motorists. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a vehicle rollover accident in Long Beach, don’t wait to get legal help. Contact our experienced personal injury lawyers at DAG Law Firm today to find out how you can file a claim and obtain compensation for your losses.
