Vehicle Rollovers
Roof Crush and Seat Belt Failure
When a vehicle rollover occurs, it can cause serious injuries or fatalities. The occupant of a vehicle is twice as likely to die in a single-vehicle accident if the vehicle rolls over. Many of these injuries are due to defects in vehicle design. In certain cases, the vehicle should not have rolled over in the first place; in other cases, the vehicle's ability to withstand the crash was insufficient. If you or a loved one has experienced a vehicle rollover, contact an experienced personal injury attorney from Christensen Law Offices in Las Vegas, Nevada, to learn your legal rights.
Roof Crush
When a vehicle rolls over during an accident, the roof is usually a main point of impact. Both cars and SUVs can roll over, but the phenomenon is more common in SUVs due to their higher centers of gravity. How the vehicle — and the occupants — fare in the crash largely depends on the safety measures the vehicle manufacturer has employed.
In a vehicle rollover involving roof crush, when the roof is not sufficiently supported by a roll bar, a windshield header or other safety equipment, the roof can be crushed so severely that it enters the space of the passenger compartment. This causes in the driver and/or passenger to collide with the roof. The injuries, including head and neck injuries, caused by roof crush make the result of a rollover crash much more serious.
Minimum government safety standards are met by most vehicle manufacturers, but these standards are not necessarily enough to protect passengers and drivers in a rollover accident. There are feasible alternative designs that some manufacturers use, but many of them continue to meet only the minimum standards.
Seat Belt Failure
When a vehicle rolls over and the driver or passenger strikes the roof, it may be because of roof crush. It may also, however, be due to seat belt failure. Even if the roof remains intact, if the seat belt breaks or the buckle unlocks, the occupants are vulnerable to head, neck and other injuries. The seat belt may even stay buckled and secure, but it may allow the occupant to slide through and collide with the roof or be thrown from the vehicle during a vehicle rollover.
Injuries due to roof crush and seat belt failure often are caused by problems in the design of the vehicle. The vehicle should be reasonably designed to protect its occupants during a crash or rollover.
Contact an Attorney
If you were injured in a vehicle rollover accident, or if you lost a loved one in such an accident, it may have been due to the vehicle's propensity toward roof crush or seat belt failure. An attorney from Christensen Law Offices in Las Vegas, Nevada, who is experienced in personal injury matters, can help you assess your legal position.
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