Rollover Crashes Among Fatal Accidents

Some of the grisliest car accidents on major interstates are those in which a car rolls over, known as a rollover crash. In late November, just before Thanksgiving, five people were injured in a single-car rollover accident on I-90, according to Illinois State Police and as reported by CBS Chicago. Police said the two children in the car were ejected from the vehicle when it rolled over, and they were both taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Neither did the adults suffer life-threatening injuries. This, of course, is a rare occurrence; all involved in this accident were extremely fortunate to have not been hurt badly.

According to SaferCar.gov, an initiative of the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), these types of crashes account for 33 percent of all passenger vehicle fatalities, amounting to more than 10,000 people per year. This is a higher fatality rate than other types of highway crashes. The chances of being involved in a rollover crash are much higher if the driver has been drinking or is driving very fast.  Taller and narrower vehicles are more likely to rollover if the driver is not observing the speed limit or has been drinking. According to a different NHTSA report, as SUVs have become more popular, the number of rollover crashes has steadily increased—more than doubled since 1991, “growing faster than any other class of light trucks,” according to the NHTSA.

According to SaferCar.gov, there are two types of rollover crashes: tripped or un-tripped. A tripped rollover is by far the most common, accounting for 95 percent of these types of accident. A tripped accident is one in which the vehicle leaves the road (either because the driver is drifting or because of a rear-end collision) and the tires of the vehicle dig into soft soil on the side of the road or strike an object, such as a guardrail or curb, that causes the car to catapult. Un-tripped rollovers are common with a top-heavy vehicle, and “usually occur during high-speed collision avoidance maneuvers,” according to the NHTSA.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a rollover accident caused by a negligent driver, you may be eligible for compensation. Do not go through it alone. Contact an experienced Chicago car accident attorney today.