Rollovers, which occur when a car rolls or flips onto its roof or side, have a higher fatality rate than other kinds of accidents, making them among the most dangerous accidents one may experience. These accidents often lead to severe or fatal injuries and are more prevalent among heavier vehicles, which include SUVs, minivans, and trucks. In addition to being more prevalent in some top-heavy automobiles, rollover accidents frequently involve one car.

If you or a loved one is involved in a vehicle rollover accident, you should know your legal rights to compensation for injuries sustained. This blog covers all you need to know about a car rollover accident.

What is Considered a Car Rollover Accident?

Rollover accidents are catastrophic and usually caused by negligent driving or driver error. In these kinds of collisions, the vehicle can roll on the side, turn upside down, or roll over several times. Depending on the situation, rollover accidents can involve one or more vehicles.

Single-car rollover accidents often involve the vehicle colliding with another object, like a tree, signpost, or guardrail. The impact force, paired with several rollovers, raises the likelihood of sustaining serious injuries.

Types of Car Rollover Accidents

Rollovers can be classified as tripped or untripped accidents. An untripped rollover typically occurs when drivers make aggressive maneuvers at high-speed collisions, such as cornering at high speeds, trying to avoid obstacles, or making abrupt lane changes. Untripped rollovers are also less likely to occur than tripped rollovers.

A tripped rollover accident could occur when a vehicle leaves the road and rolls sideways, burying its wheels into soft dirt or colliding with another motorist, causing the automobile to topple over. In such cases, a vehicle rolls over due to the significant tripping force imposed on the wheels.

Tripped rollover crashes can be classified into three types. The following examples give an illustration of these types:

  • Guardrails

An automobile motorist drives at high speeds down a roadway. As the automobile veers off the road, the motorist tries to prevent hitting a guardrail by steering the vehicle back on the road. However, the left front part of the automobile rides through the guardrail, causing the vehicle to be thrown up in the air and roll over.

  • Soft Soil

For example, a pickup motorist speeds down a two-lane roadway. As they stray off the right lane of the roadway, the motorist tries to correct this by aggressively steering the vehicle to the left. This causes the vehicle to flip over as the tires dig into the soft terrain.

  • Steep Slopes

An SUV motorist moving at slower speeds in off-road terrain begins to accelerate as they climb a steep slope. The driver miscalculates the steepness and steers right, forcing the vehicle to tumble down the slope. 

Rollover accidents, whether involving an untripped or tripped driver, are not always caused by negligence. However, motorists speeding or driving recklessly significantly increases the likelihood of such incidents.

How Car Rollover Accidents Occur

Driver mistake is often the leading cause of any car rollover accident. There are usually four types of negligence that lead to these accidents, such as:

Driver Error

This kind of error could be caused by negligent behavior, being preoccupied at the moment, or a lack of experience. Examples of driver errors include:

  • Making a turn or curve too quickly
  • Oversteering when approaching a corner
  • Losing control of the car
  • Taking a sudden turn or driving too fast in inclement weather, including heavy snowfall or rain

Negligence Among Drivers

The following are examples of common driver negligence that could result in a rollover accident:

  • Driving while exhausted, falling asleep behind the wheel, or drowsy driving
  • Driving with tires that are underinflated as a result of poor maintenance or heavily worn
  • Overloading a vehicle with cargo, especially with heavy objects on top

Driving Recklessly or Carelessly

More aggressive and unsafe driving conduct that could lead to a rollover accident can include:

  • Driving too fast or taking part in illegal drag races on open roads
  • Drunk driving
  • Driving while under the influence of drugs or other substances

Other Causes

Some factors can lead to rollover accidents that are beyond a driver's control. These include:

A side-impact collision with another car

Unexpected road dangers, particularly at night, are difficult to notice

Road signs that are missing or poorly indicated, such as those used in work or construction zones

Vehicles That Are More Likely To Flip or Rollover

Rollovers are more likely to occur in vehicles that are raised above the ground. These increased risks have a significant influence on the vehicle's stability. Some of these vehicles include the following:

  • Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs), Including Crossovers and Hybrid SUVs

Motorists in such cars could feel safer, even in poor weather, prompting them to continue speeding. However, because these cars are elevated off the ground, they are more unstable when making turns, particularly on corners and curved roads.

  • Minivans and Full-Size Vans

Delivery vans, minivans, and other passenger, or cargo vehicles pose a significant danger of rolling over because of their massive and boxy shape. These types of vehicles are frequently overloaded, especially while transporting freight, merchandise, or passengers. The more passengers and goods placed into a van, the higher the risk of a rollover accident.

  • Pickups

Pickup truck drivers can unintentionally overload their trucks. Overloading any car, particularly those with a higher center of gravity (COG), increases the likelihood of a rollover accident.

Common Injuries Sustained in a Car Rollover Accident

Rollover crashes usually lead to catastrophic injuries for a variety of reasons. The car's structure can collapse when it begins to turn around resulting in injuries. Poor airbag deployment systems could also contribute to the injuries. Also, being thrown or jolted inside the vehicle during several rolls could result in significant injuries.

Some of the common injuries that you could sustain following a rollover crash include the following:

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Rollover accidents can result in traumatic brain and head injuries. Such injuries are more likely to be sustained if you do not use your seat belt at the moment of the crash. Other common traumas to the head are lacerations, skull fractures, head cuts, and brain damage. Brain and head traumas can have long-term effects on your well-being.

Traumatic brain damage can also occur if an automobile's occupants are ejected and hit their heads against a window or another portion of the car's structure. The victim could strike their head on the road after being ejected from the automobile.

The sudden impact of the crash can jolt the brain, resulting in traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury symptoms can fade over time, but you can still suffer serious side effects later in life.

Spinal Injuries

A car rollover accident can also result in spinal cord injuries. The intense pressures involved in rollover collisions can cause excessive strain on the spine, resulting in spinal injury.

Spinal cord injuries are severe and can cause paralysis of the pelvis, torso,  legs, shoulders, and arms. You could also suffer damage to the soft discs and tissues in your neck and spine. Surgery could be the only viable option to treat such injuries.

Neck Injuries

Car rollover accidents can result in neck injuries such as slipped or herniated discs, nerve damage, and whiplash. When a vehicle rolls over, the roof may cave in or collapse, causing these injuries. This could result in severe damage, particularly to the limbs and neck.

Fractured Bones

A rollover car accident also increases your risk of sustaining bone fractures. You could sustain fractures in the ankles, arms, legs, and other bones. You could still be tossed and twisted about in the car even if you have a seatbelt on when the collision happens. This can result in fractures and shattered bones.

If you are ejected during a crash, you may hit the road or other things, which could result in fractures and broken bones.

Internal Injuries

Rollover accidents could cause internal injuries. Although your internal organs remain concealed underneath the skin, rollover accidents could result in internal injury.

The impact of broken limbs could also cause internal hemorrhage and injuries. Internal injuries can also happen as a result of puncture wounds caused by car parts. They could also occur if the body is ejected from the car after the collision.

Injuries And Lacerations To The Body's Soft Tissues

Soft tissue injuries, such as pulled muscles and hurt tendons and ligaments are common among rollover accident victims. You may sustain major cuts from sharp metal or pieces of glass from the car's debris. Serious injuries sustained in the accident may leave victims with scars and deformities for the rest of their lives.

The Effects and Repercussions of Rollover Accidents

Rollover accidents are among the most dreaded types of automobile crashes, and the repercussions can be serious, ranging from potential traumas and injuries to financial problems and more. Let us take a look at some of these consequences.

Risk of Death and Serious Injuries

Accidents involving rollovers account for around one-third of all vehicle fatalities annually. It is common for victims of rollover accidents to suffer catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, among others. A fatal accident could result in the loss of companionship of your loved one.

You might not be permanently crippled after the rollover accident, but you could still suffer terrible injuries that prevent you from working for a while. This would cause you to lose a lot of money and affect your daily life.

Effect on Finances and Emotional Stress

The consequences of a rollover accident can be more than just physical injuries. Expenses like medical bills, car repairs, or even a new car can quickly pile up and put you in a financial bind.

Your injuries might prevent you from working, which would mean you would have to make up for lost income. The death or injury of a family's breadwinner in a rollover accident can have a devastating effect on a family's ability to earn a living.

Emotional trauma is also common in such cases. When a rollover accident causes permanent alterations to your life, like the death of someone you love or a disability, it becomes easy to experience depression and anxiety as a result of the trauma you've suffered. You may suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and need long-term therapy to recover.

You may be awarded damages for:

  • Suffering and pain
  • Dissatisfaction with life
  • Loss of friendship and consortium

Comparing Rollover Accidents with Other Accident Types

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety published data on the number of passenger car occupant fatalities in 2021. One aspect of this study involved comparing various categories of auto accidents. Head-on accidents were responsible for the highest number of passenger vehicle deaths, totaling 15,742. 3,596 fatalities were caused by rollover collisions along with other accidents. There were a total of 1,423 accidents caused by rear collisions.

Single-vehicle accidents, specifically rollover along with "other" accidents, accounted for approximately half of the total fatalities caused by front-car collisions. There were 3,257 fatal accidents in the former category, while the latter category had 6,702 fatal crashes. These figures do not include car crashes involving utility or commercial vehicles, for example, commercial vans or semi-trucks.

Avoiding Fault in Rollover Accidents

Implementing certain preventive measures can help you mitigate liability in the event of a rollover collision. While it may not be possible to completely prevent rollover accidents, there are measures you can take to decrease the probability of such accidents occurring. If you take the proper safety measures, you can prevent serious injuries in the event of an accident. Here are some recommended precautions:

Inspect Your Car On A Regular Basis

Regularly inspecting your vehicle is crucial to ensure its proper maintenance and functioning. For example, if you observe an issue with the tires, brakes, steering wheel, and other components of your car, it is advisable to have it inspected.

Worn tires elevate the likelihood of tires blowing out. In the event of a blowout while driving at high speeds, there is a potential for losing control of your vehicle, resulting in a rollover. As a car owner, it is expected of you to ensure the proper maintenance and repair of your vehicle.

In the event of a rollover, the car's manufacturer may refuse to accept responsibility if the car was not faulty when you purchased it. The manufacturer may contend that the car's defect arose from insufficient vehicle maintenance rather than from the maker's negligence.

Always Fasten Your Seat Belts

Using a seat belt significantly increases the likelihood of surviving during a rollover. You shouldn't restrict yourself to wearing your seat belt only on certain trips.

Sometimes vehicle accidents happen within a short distance of a person's home. For this reason, you should always make sure you and your passengers always have their seat belts on, even when you are just driving for a little while. The defendant could hold you accountable for injuries sustained if you were not using seat belts when the accident happened. The defendant may contend that your injuries would have been less serious if you had been wearing a safety belt.

Avoid Speeding

Speeding is the primary cause of most rollover accidents in California. Exceeding the speed limit increases the difficulty of maintaining control over your car, which elevates the risk of an accident. When your car rolls over and it turns out that you had been overspeeding when the accident occurred, you will be partly liable.

Take Extra Precautions When Driving On Unfamiliar Roads

Exercise caution when driving on foreign roads to minimize the risk of rollover accidents. These accidents frequently happen on unknown roads where motorists are more susceptible to facing obstacles without expecting them. Take extra caution when driving on roads with no center dividers and those with higher speed limits. Driving carefully will absolve you of any liability in the event of an accident.

Make Sure Your Vehicle Isn't Overloaded

Overloading your car can exert excessive force on the car tires, compromising the car's balance and increasing the likelihood of a rollover incident. Exceeding the weight limit of a vehicle raises the likelihood of rolling over, particularly in taller automobiles such as trucks, SUVs, and vans.

What Is The Extent Of Auto Insurance Coverage For A Rollover Accident?

Your auto insurance provider can cover the damages in a rollover accident. This applies only if you have the appropriate type of insurance coverage. When your car overturns due to a collision caused by another driver, their liability insurance should cover the cost of repairing your car. Their insurer can also compensate you for damages within the limits of their insurance policy.

However, the majority of rollover collisions only involve a single vehicle. In case of a single-vehicle accident, your car insurance policy may cover repair expenses. Otherwise, you will be accountable for financing the repairs.

Contact a Los Angeles Car Accident Law Firm Near Me

The aftermath of a rollover vehicle accident can be emotionally and psychologically devastating. However, if you were not at fault for the accident, you could have the right to seek compensation. We at the Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney have an impressive track record of winning car accident cases. Our legal team can negotiate with the insurers and responsible parties to secure your compensation. Call us at 424-237-3600.