Rollover Accidents In Florida
Because of the sheer amount of drivers in Florida, car accidents are depressingly common. One of the most potentially dangerous types of car crashes is the rollover accident, where a vehicle flips either side over side, or end over end. The amount of weight involved can lead to more injuries, proportionately, than any other type of accident. If you have been injured in a rollover accident, it is a good idea to enlist an experienced attorney to help you navigate what can be a complicated process of seeking compensation.
Different Causes
There can be multiple causes for a rollover accident, with some originating in the vehicle and others with the driver. Many of them are single-vehicle accidents (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] data estimates as high as 85 percent), meaning that only one vehicle sustains damage (though another driver may be involved and simply escape any injury). There is also a higher incidence of rollover crashes in sport utility vehicles and cruiser vans – vehicles with higher and more narrow bodies, which can alter their centers of gravity.
Other factors that can cause a rollover crash include speed, which plays a role in roughly half the rollovers in a given year, and alcohol use, which occurs at approximately the same rate. Unlike the prevailing wisdom, though, NHTSA statistics show that a majority of rollover crashes occur when routine driving maneuvers are occurring, as opposed to anything particularly complex. This does seem to support the idea that driver error plays a larger role in rollover crashes than it does in other types of accidents like T-bone or front-end.
Who To Sue?
In rollover accidents, more often than in other types of crashes, the question of who to bring suit against can often be complex. Depending on the specific facts, there are many possible defendants that might have played a role in causing your injuries besides the driver of the car that hit you (if any). One common scenario in rollover accidents is to bring suit against the manufacturer of your car or SUV if there is evidence that your vehicle malfunctioned or caused you more harm than you might have otherwise suffered.
It also may be possible to bring suit against whichever entity is charged with maintaining the road where your accident occurred, such as the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) or a city’s Public Works Department. If your accident was caused by, for example, a poorly maintained road, or if a guardrail or sign was missing, the government of the city or town might be liable. However, if you think this road is worth pursuing, you need to be sure that your claim is not barred by sovereign immunity – a law which disallows certain lawsuits against the government.
Call A Winter Park Rollover Accident Attorney
Because of the weights involved, rollover crashes cause a disproportionate amount of injuries and fatalities compared to other car accidents. If you have been injured in a rollover, contacting an experienced attorney is a good idea, so that you have help in seeking the compensation you need to get back on your feet. The Winter Park car accident lawyers at the Hornsby Law Group can sit down with you and try to help. Call our office today for a free consultation.
Resource:
https://www.safercar.gov/Vehicle-Shoppers/Rollover/Causes
https://www.hornsbylawgroup.com/do-i-get-workers-compensation-when-i-have-two-jobs/
