What causes rollover accidents and what are my legal rights?

If you have been in a car that was driven by someone who over corrected and caused a rollover, you know how injurious that can be. You have no control over the occurrence and are an innocent victim in this type of situation. A rollover is a complex crash and is particularly violent in nature. Sometimes, environmental issues can cause a car to roll over. It is due to different factors such as the driver, road conditions and the weather.

Being the passenger of an SUV, a pickup or a van can be dangerous because these types of vehicles are taller and narrower than most vehicles of this size and have a higher center of gravity. They are more susceptible to a rollover than a car or a semi-truck.

How fast is the driver going? 40 percent of fatal rollover accidents involved excessive speed. Also, nearly three fourths of all fatal rollover crashes took place when the speed limit was 55 miles per hour or greater. Trusting the driver of a vehicle that you are travelling in is important.

Approximately half of all rollover accidents involved alcohol last year. Even though the law says that .08 is the lawful blood alcohol content that can get a driver arrested, any alcohol consumed can cause the driver that you are trusting with your life to over correct and cause a rollover crash.

Rural roads in New York are usually undivided and have no barriers to protect drivers in the other lane from accidents. This is likely the place that a rollover will occur. Three fourths of rollovers took place in rural areas where the speed limit was at least 55 miles per hour.

Getting recompense for your injuries and lost wages because the driver that you trusted rolled over the vehicle that you were travelling in can happen. Doing some quick research will tell you that getting a lawyer involved will help you get what is rightfully yours.

Source: U.S. Department of Transportation, “Causes,” accessed Dec. 11, 2015