Negligence in California Rollover Accidents
Being involved in a rollover car accident is one of the most traumatic experiences a person can go through. Rollover accident victims are often left with not only serious injuries but also long-lasting psychological scars that make it difficult to return to normal life.
If you or someone you love has recently had the misfortune of experiencing an auto accident, then you are likely asking yourself:
- Why did this happen?
- Who was at fault?
- How am I going to pay off my medical bills and other expenses?
- Should I get a car accident lawyer?
If you believe that another party caused your SUV rollover crash, as is often the case, then the answer to the last question is yes, you should hire a Los Angeles SUV rollover accident lawyer.
Why? Because your health, your financial security, and your family’s future may all be at risk, and only an experienced rollover accident lawyer can ensure that you get the full and fair compensation you need to rebuild your life after such a catastrophic accident.
What Is a Rollover Accident?
A rollover accident is a type of car crash in which a motor vehicle tips over onto its side or roof. Rollover crashes have a higher fatality rate than most other kinds of auto accidents, due to their violent nature. Whether it’s a traffic accident that causes traumatic brain injury or a truck accident that causes wrongful death, rollover accidents have the potential to cause severe injuries to passengers.
Rollover accidents can be tripped or untripped. Tripped rollover accidents are caused by collision with an external object, such as another motor vehicle or a traffic divider. An untripped rollover accident is a car crash that usually occurs when a vehicle attempts a quick maneuver at high speeds.
All types of motor vehicles can experience rollover accidents, but the risk of this type of accident increases in vehicles with a higher center of mass, such as that of a sport utility vehicle (SUV).
A rollover accident can result in serious injuries and even wrongful death. If you or a loved one has suffered an accident due to the carelessness or negligence of another driver, or another at-fault party, contact a Los Angeles SUV rollover accident lawyer today.
We can discuss the details of your rollover accident case and help you seek justice and compensation to which you are entitled. The award-winning personal injury attorneys at Wilshire Law Firm are ready to aggressively fight for your rights!
What Are Common Causes of California Rollover Accidents?
Rollover accidents are directly related to a vehicle’s stability in turns. That stability is influenced by the relationship between the center of gravity and the track width (distance between the left and right wheels).
A high center of gravity and narrow track can make a vehicle unstable in fast turns or sharp changes of direction, increasing the odds that it will tip over once it begins to skid sideways.
Rollover accidents occur when the inertia of a vehicle overcomes gravity and friction, causing it to roll onto its side. Vehicles with high centers of gravity and narrow track widths, such as SUVs and large passenger vans, are especially susceptible to this type of car accident since their build is conducive to destabilization in fast turns and sharp changes of direction.
While drivers can avoid rollover accidents by exercising good judgment on the freeway, there are many factors outside of a driver’s control that can cause a rollover crash to happen, even to the model motorist. Driver behavior often plays a large factor in rollover accidents.
The common causes of rollovers include:
- Tire blowouts and other mechanical failures
- Swerving to avoid road hazards
- Potholes and broken pavement
- Extremely sharp and fast turns that cause the vehicle to skid and lose stability
- Driving taller, narrower vehicles, such as SUVs, pickups, and vans
- Excessive speeding
- Driving while intoxicated/under the influence
- Driving in a rural area
- Distracted driving
- Impaired driving
An auto accident attorney can investigate the circumstances surrounding your crash to determine its cause and who is ultimately at fault.
For high-quality legal representation, get in touch with the experienced rollover accident attorneys at Wilshire Law Firm. All you have to do is share your story with us, and we will take care of the rest.
We have extensive knowledge and experience in car accident law, and our team includes some of the top-rated attorneys in California and the U.S. Additionally, we won’t ask you for a single cent unless we make a recovery in your case, which means you won’t have to worry about any upfront fees.
So why delay? Call us toll-free at (844) 979 0933 today to receive a free, comprehensive consultation.
Establishing Liability for a Rollover Car Accident Settlement
As with any other type of auto accident case, you must be able to establish the following elements in order to prove the negligence of the liable party:
- The liable party breached their duty of care to you in some way (e.g. drove in a reckless fashion, manufactured and sold a defective product, did not keep roads reasonably safe, etc.).
- This breach of duty directly contributed to the rollover accident happening; and
- The breach of duty directly contributed to your auto accident injuries.
If you decide to hire us for your legal representation, we will jump into action right away to collect evidence that supports your side of the story. We have the necessary legal resources and knowledge to build you an airtight car accident case, and we will use the full scope to get you an optimal settlement or verdict.
What Should I Do After an SUV Rollover Accident?
Being involved in an SUV rollover accident can be one of the most terrifying and stressful events in anyone’s life. Knowing strategies to protect yourself after a car crash can significantly help you start on the road to recovery and avoid further catastrophic injury.
If possible, you should attempt to do the following after an SUV accident:
- Avoid panicking. Try to remain calm and concentrate on immediate tasks at hand. Remain aware of what is going on around you.
- Get to safety. Try to get far away from any other motor vehicle or destroyed property as a way to avoid further injury.
- Check for injuries and symptoms. Don’t assume you don’t have injuries just because you feel fine. Symptoms of an internal injury can be hidden by an adrenaline rush after the SUV car accident.
- Call emergency medical services. If you or anyone involved in the accident has been injured, immediately call 9-1-1. Ask the police to create an official accident report and to provide you with a detailed copy. This will be an important piece of evidence for your rollover accident claim.
- Gather evidence of the accident. Exchange insurance and contact information with the involved parties. If there were any witnesses around, ask for their contact, as well. Take photos and videos of the accident, including any damaged property and any car accident injury you suffered.
- Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
The insurance companies will do what they can to convince you to accept a low-ball compensation offer. You need a law firm in your corner that isn’t afraid to throw a punch – that’s where Wilshire Law Firm comes in.
A Los Angeles SUV rollover accident attorney can take care of the legal battle so you can focus on your recovery.
How Much Compensation Can I Get?
If you’ve been injured in a rollover car accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you deserve monetary compensation for any economic and noneconomic losses.
The true cost of a rollover car accident can quickly become extraordinarily expensive. If it was not a fatal crash, an accident victim can take months, even years to fully heal from their injuries. With medical bills and lost wages, expenses can quickly to pile up.
If you’ve been injured in a Los Angeles car accident, you may be entitled to the following compensation:
- Specific Damages:
- Past and future medical bills for severe injuries
- Lost wages and lost earning potential
- Necessary home or vehicle modifications
- Repair/replacement services such as vehicle maintenance
- General Damages:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
And what’s the most important key to successfully proving your car accident claim? Identifying the liable party or parties. Depending on the circumstances of your case, there may be a number of parties who are ultimately be found liable for the damages you have suffered. These parties could include multiple drivers, another driver and a company or a public entity (like a city), or even yourself as one of the at-fault drivers.
This begs the question…
What happens if you were partially at fault for your accident?
California deals with this scenario through a system called Pure Comparative Fault. Also known as Pure Comparative Negligence, this system reduces the compensation awarded to an injury by their degree of fault in an accident. If, for example, you are a Los Angeles car accident victim who is determined to be 20% at fault for an accident, then the total compensation awarded to you will be reduced by 20%.
And then there are other complicating factors, such as the matter of insurance…
What if the at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance? Unfortunately, there are many SUV drivers in California who are either uninsured or underinsured – some insurance industry studies place the percentage of uninsured drivers in California at more than 15%.
Because of the high number of uninsured drivers, it’s critical that you carry uninsured motorist coverage. This way, if you are unfortunately involved in a Los Angeles car accident with an uninsured or underinsured SUV driver, you can recover damages directly from your insurer instead of filing a claim with a third party.
Without underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage and a qualified car accident attorney, an injured victim may not be able to recover any damages that result from their accident.
Let a Rollover Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles Help You
The opposing insurance company may resort to aggressive or dishonest tactics to discourage you from pursuing the compensation you deserve. Do not let them get away with this type of injustice.
Consult with one of the best Los Angeles SUV rollover law firms and you won’t be disappointed. Contact Wilshire Law Firm as soon as you can and let a car accident lawyer help you make things right.
If you are in need of legal help after a bad motor vehicle accident, call our experienced personal injury lawyers today at (844) 979 0933 for high-quality legal representation! You can also fill out the form below for a free, no-obligation consultation.
FREE 24/7 Consultation.
