Have you been in a roll-over accident? It is a terrifying experience. Rollover crashes happen, and they often lead to devastating injuries and fatalities. Understanding the common causes of roll-over crashes can help you better protect yourself and your loved ones from these life-threatening accidents. If a negligent driver leaves you injured in a roll-over crash, you need the experienced legal counsel of a dedicated Houston, Texas, auto accident lawyer.
Rollover Accidents and Driver Error
he National Highway and Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) finds that driver error plays a significant part in roll-over accidents. Overcompensating in emergency driving situations—rather than safely steering through them—is a common culprit. When you find yourself in a driving emergency that was brought on by your driving error, however, it’s all too easy to panic and overcompensates. Several specific driver errors are especially conducive to such overcompensation:
- Driving with Excessive Speed – Speed plays a larger role in fatal rollovers than it does in any other kind of traffic fatality. In fact, speeding is a factor in nearly 40 percent of all fatal rollovers that occur on roads with at least a 55-mph speed limit.
- Driving while Impaired – Impaired driving is always dangerous driving, but this doesn’t adequately relay the significant role that impairment plays in deadly rollover accidents. In fact, half of all fatal rollovers involve an impaired driver. When you encounter a driving emergency, even a small amount of alcohol in your system can prove exceedingly dangerous.
- Traveling on Country Roads – Rural highways and roads see more than their fair share of rollover accidents. Such roads often lack the safety features of a more-traveled divided highway. Ultimately, about 75 percent of all rollover fatalities happen on rural roadways with speed limits of at least 55 mph.
- Driving on Worn, Damaged, or Faultily Manufactured Tires – Our vehicles’ tires tether us to the road. When they aren’t up to the task, they leave us vulnerable to dangerous accidents, including rollovers. Your ability to control your car safely in an emergency directly correlates to the condition of your tires, and rollover crashes are often the result of a driver’s loss of control.
Multi-Car Rollover Accidents
Most roll-overs are single-car accidents, but roll-over crashes involving more than one car also happen. Such accidents are typically predicated on drivers who speed excessively, drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs, or fail to adjust to a road’s less-than-perfect condition, including the dangerous effects of inclement weather.
The devastation associated with rollovers is often overwhelming. If you or someone you love has been injured in such an accident, the experienced auto accident lawyers at The Valenzuela Law Firm, PC in Houston, Texas, are on your side. Our dedicated legal team is committed to aggressively advocating for the compensation to which you are entitled.
If a negligent driver leaves you injured in a roll-over accident, consult with an experienced Houston, Texas, auto accident lawyer today.
