Rollover Car Accidents - Injuries & Recovery
On September 3rd, a journalist with WMBB reported that the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Sheriff's Office was working to clean up a 2 car accident on Star Avenue. The accident resulted in a Toyota SUV rolling over and one injured person being transported to Bay Medical Center in Panama City, Florida.
Causes of Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents are a particularly violent and complicated type of car accident. They happen when the balance of a vehicle shifts to the point where the vehicle can no longer remain upright, causing the vehicle to tip over on its side or completely roll over onto its roof, perhaps more than once.
Rollovers can be caused by a number of factors, including--
- Vehicle Type- while any type of vehicle can roll, certain vehicles are more susceptible to rolling over in a crash. The taller and more narrow a vehicle is, the more susceptible it is to rolling because the vehicle's center of gravity is higher. This means that SUVs, pickups, and vans tend to be involved in rollover accidents more often than sedans. Securing objects to the tops of these vehicles further increases the chances of a rollover accident because it creates an even greater balance issue.
- Speed- speed kills, especially in rollover situations, and over 40 percent of fatal rollover crashes involve excessive speeding.
- Drunk or Drugged Driving- nearly half of all fatal rollover crashes involve alcohol consumption, either by the driver of the vehicle or another vehicle involved in the accident.
- Distracted Driving- distracted driving is a significant cause in many auto accidents. It can include texting, using a cell phone or smartphone, eating and drinking, using a navigation system, applying make-up or fixing hair, talking to passengers such as children in the back seat, as well as adjusting a radio or other electronic device. However, because text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention by the driver, it is by far the most alarming distraction.
- Location- Almost 75 percent of rollovers occur in rural areas where posted speed limits are at least 55 mph. Most rollovers happen when a vehicle is "tripped. This happens when the vehicle leaves the roadway and is "tripped" by a curb, soft soil or shoulder, guardrails, discontinued pavement surfaces, steep slope, or is launched and becomes airborne by hitting some other object.
- Other Drivers- approximately 20 percent of all rollover accidents involve multiple vehicles and rollovers can be a result of severe crash impacts.
Injuries Caused By Rollover Accidents
Rollovers crashes are particularly violent accidents. They cause higher rates of serious injuries than other types of crashes because of the variety of forces and impacts that occupants can experience.
One factor that has been associated with increased risk of injury in rollover accidents is the number of quarter-turns the vehicle experiences and the number roof impacts the vehicle sustains. This is because the more a vehicle flips, the more likely it is that its occupants may be partially or completely ejected from the vehicle.
Depending on how and where the vehicle rolls, a driver and passengers can sustain head, face, neck, thorax, abdomen and spine injuries, as well as injuries to the upper and lower arms and legs. However, there is a relatively high risk of head injury in all rollover accidents, regardless of whether the injured person was wearing a seatbelt.
Rollover Accident Lawyer In Panama City, Florida
Rollover accidents are often the result of reckless or negligent driving by either the rolled vehicle or another vehicle involved in the accident. If you have been injured in a Panama City rollover accident, you need the help of an experienced and strong auto accident attorney to help you obtain the maximum compensation available to help you cover your medical bills, as well as get back on your feet both physically and financially. To get a tough lawyer in your corner, call Attorney Wes Pittman at The Pittman Firm, P.A. today at (800) 784-9001 or use the firm's online contact form. Your initial consultation is completely free and we are available to discuss your injury immediately.
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