National Rollover Accident Lawyers

Rollover and Roof Crush Injuries May Be a Sign of an Auto Defect. Ask Our Attorneys How We Can Help You.

Some cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) will roll under conditions that would cause other vehicles to slide out. These accidents may occur when a driver swerves to avoid hitting an obstruction or momentarily drifts partially off the roadway and then tries to straighten their vehicle. Such a maneuver is completely foreseeable and should not be the cause of an accident. However, in vehicles that are top-heavy or poorly constructed, rollovers can happen with little provocation.

There are more than 250,000 rollover crashes in the United States each year. Many of them lead to roof crushes, which can cause serious and even fatal injuries during an otherwise survivable crash. If you or a loved one was hurt in one of these accidents, talk to our auto defect attorneys today. The Gilbert Law Group® has successfully gone up against major automakers including Toyota, GM, Ford, and many other large corporations in court. No opponent is too powerful, and no accident is too complex for our team to handle.

Call us today at (888) 711-5947 to schedule your free consultation. We can help the victims of rollover and roof crush accidents across the U.S.

Rollover Accidents Are a Sign of Auto Manufacturer Negligence

Automakers that sell unstable SUVs typically blame the driver when a vehicle rolls. To jurors who have never driven a rollover-prone vehicle, their arguments may even make sense. However, our team has hard evidence that rollovers are the result of defects and weaknesses in a car’s design and make. Vehicle testing conducted by our team has shown that rollover and roof crush injuries can be prevented by minor modifications to a vehicle such as:

• Lowering the center of gravity
• Widening the wheelbase
• Adding adequate roll bars or cages to prevent roof collapse

These simple changes can make the difference between a vehicle that tips and one that stays right side up and slides out. Thus, they can help protect accident victims from suffering the serious injuries often associated with rollover accidents.

Rollovers and Roof Crush Injuries

Because energy is dissipated gradually and over a long distance when a vehicle rolls, rollovers may involve lower peak forces than other collisions such as frontal impacts. Rollovers are therefore highly survivable, provided the vehicle has an effective restraint system and the occupant compartment remains intact. Unfortunately, many vehicles—especially those prone to rollovers—lack adequate protections.

Severe roof crush during a rollover can cause serious head and neck injuries. These injuries are completely preventable, but inadequate roof strength leads to excessive roof crush during rollover accidents in some vehicles. The best restraint system in the world cannot keep you safe if the roof falls into the passenger compartment, jeopardizing your head and neck.

It is possible to create a vehicle roof that will not crumple under pressure, but many automakers do not want to spend the time or resources necessary to do so. Our team is here to help you take these negligent automakers to court. Selling unsafe cars is simply unacceptable, especially when automakers already know how to prevent the life-changing injuries caused by roof crush accidents.

Automakers Know About the Risks of Roof Crush Injuries

Our firm is not the only group that has produced evidence linking rollover and roof crush risk to the likelihood of severe injury. Auto industry researchers are aware of roof crush accidents’ potential to cause head and neck injuries; however, automakers have been slow to incorporate these findings into life-saving upgrades. The roofs of many vehicles are merely designed to meet minimum federal safety standards, set forth in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 216. When designed to a minimal level of safety, a roof can easily crush a foot or more during a rollover.

When a vehicle sustains severe roof crush during a rollover, the occupants are at high risk of spinal cord injury. In these two accident vehicles, a “surrogate” of the approximate size and weight of the injured plaintiff was seated in the vehicle to demonstrate the dramatic reduction in occupant survival space.

An In-House Engineering Expert on Your Side

Our team of attorneys and engineers can help you build a strong case if you were seriously injured in a rollover accident. You need a law firm that can approach your complaint from multiple angles and incorporate data in a convincing fashion. The best evidence of an on-road rollover is found at the scene, in the form of tire marks and gouging and scraping on the roadway. Our investigators know what to look for and how to interpret this information for an insurance adjuster and jury.

The Gilbert Law Group® also has an in-house engineering team with over 20 years of experience working on auto defect cases. Our staff can re-create accidents and provide high-tech visual demonstrations to show juries how an auto defect caused your accident or injuries. We are not afraid to take on big automakers because we know we have the skill and resources to fight for you. If you or a loved one was seriously injured in a rollover accident, reach out to our team for a free consultation.

Above: Tire marks that suddenly end in the roadway indicate an on-road rollover.

The Gilbert Law Group® has been serving clients in auto defect cases for over 50 years. Our skilled attorneys can fight for you no matter where you are in the country. Call us at (888) 711-5947 to get your case started.