Vehicle Rollovers
Our Florida Car Accident Law Firms Handles Vehicle Rollover Claims
Rollover accidents may be dangerous, but they are avoidable. Drivers must exercise reasonable care when inspecting, loading, and operating their vehicles to ensure that the rollover risk is kept to a minimum. Failure to do so could expose the defendant to significant car accident liability. Some vehicle rollover accidents are due to a defective design, and you may be able to recover for these claims as well. Don’t assume you know how much you can receive as compensation and from which party. Let a Florida car accident lawyer at our firm help you make sense of your claim.
Driver Negligence in Rollover Accident Scenarios
Rollover accidents can be traced to a number of different causes, but in many cases, the driver is negligent and therefore at least partially responsible. In Florida, if you can demonstrate that the defendant-driver could have avoided the rollover accident with reasonable care but failed to do so, then you can hold them liable for the damages that you suffered as a result.
Common acts of negligence that contribute to a rollover accident include, but are not necessarily limited to:
- Improper loading of cargo
- Drunk driving
- Failure to moderate speed at turns
- Failure to reasonably inspect and maintain vehicle (leading to tire grip issues, brake defects, etc.)
Third-Party Negligence in Vehicle Rollover Accident Scenarios
Many rollover accidents also involve the negligence of a third-party, whose acts of negligence may include, but are not necessarily limited to:
- Defective vehicle
- Negligent hiring and supervision of employee driver
- Road defects and hazards
- Improper loading of cargo (by a third-party)
- Inadequate repair (by a third-party)
It is certainly worth pointing out that — if the defendant-driver is an employee who was acting within the course and scope of their employment — you may be entitled to seek damages against the driver’s employer pursuant to the doctrine of vicarious liability. Vicarious liability allows you to impose liability on an employer for their employee’s negligent acts. This can be an excellent tool for obtaining full compensation in a situation where the driver may not personally have adequate insurance coverage or personal assets to cover your losses. We understand this may be confusing, but a Florida auto accident lawyer from our firm will strive to help you understand your claim.
Addressing SUV Rollover Accidents
Some of the worst car accidents caused by vehicle defects occur with SUVs. For several years, SUVs have been among the most popular cars on the road – they ferry children to soccer games, moms to the grocery store, and the whole family on a vacation adventure. But because of the way some are built, they can be some of the most dangerous vehicles on the road – for their drivers and passengers, and for the drivers and passengers in other cars.
Because SUVs have a high profile and narrow track width, they are especially prone to roll over because of disruption to their center of gravity. When they do roll over, their weak roof and poor crash protection place occupants at a high risk for death or paralysis.
Fatal rollover crashes increased for several years when SUVs first became popular, but there have been significant improvements in SUV safety over the past few years, and the fatality numbers have dropped. Experts agree that decreases in SUV rollover fatalities can be traced to the introduction of more stringent roof crush standards, electronic stability control (ESC), and more stable, car-based designs. Standards in large measure brought about by consumer lawsuits demonstrating the design defects. Regardless of improvements to design, both driver negligence and persisting design flaws still lead to these rollover accidents
The Florida car accident attorneys at Searcy Denney are ready to fight for you and your family if someone has been killed or injured in a vehicle rollover crash. We bring to each case the experience, skills, and resources it takes to seek the justice you deserve. Contact us today and let us help!