Columbus Rollover Accident Attorney
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) defines a rollover as any crash during which the vehicle tips onto its side or roof. Because rollovers often involve a roof crush, a roadway departure, or an ejection from the vehicle, these types of accidents can be especially severe or deadly to the people in the car that rolls over. According to the IIHS, 6,358 people lost their lives in a rollover accident in 2019. While only three percent of traffic crashes involve a rollover, they make up twenty-nine percent of vehicle occupant deaths.
At the law office of Brian G. Miller Co., L.P.A., our Columbus rollover accident attorneys are experienced in handling car accident cases in Columbus, Ohio, that resulted in catastrophic injuries or wrongful death. Our lawyers in Columbus and Worthington help individuals injured in rollover accidents and their families recover significant compensation from the at-fault driver to help with the medical bills, loss of income, pain and suffering, and all the challenges that follow a serious accident like a rollover crash.
Why do rollovers happen?
A rollover car accident is most likely to happen as the result of a high-speed crash between two vehicles, although about one-quarter of rollovers occur from a single-car incident that does not involve a pre-rollover impact.
Of the rollovers caused by a crash, nearly half of them are the result of a frontal or head-on collision. These impacts cause a rollover more than twice as often as side-impact crashes. A rollover is not likely to be caused by a rear-end collision, although such events do occur a few hundred times each year (about four percent of rollover accidents come from rear-end collisions).
Rollovers that aren’t caused by a crash are most often due to the car “tripping” over an object in the road, such as debris falling from the back of a truck, or a defect in the road such as a pothole. In these events, the tires lose contact and grip with the road, and the driver loses control over the vehicle. Taking a sharp turn or steep curve at too high of a speed can also cause the vehicle to roll over.
Some vehicles are safer than others when it comes to rollover accidents
Cars, pickup trucks and SUVs are all susceptible to rollover crashes. Most rollovers are passenger cars simply because they are on the road in greater numbers than SUVs or pickups, but these other vehicles roll over more often because of the way they are built. Pickup trucks and SUVs are more likely to roll over because of their high center of gravity. High-center vehicles designed with an especially narrow wheelbase are most apt to roll over; some SUVs might be negligently designed if they roll over when they shouldn’t or too often compared to other similar vehicles.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) can help prevent a rollover. ESC is standard in all vehicles manufactured after 2011, but there are still thousands of vehicles on the road not equipped with ESC. An even better feature to prevent a rollover is Roll Stability Control (RSC), but this feature is not standard and is not commonly found in most vehicles. Likewise, side curtain airbags would help protect occupants in a rollover, but this feature is still not standard in new vehicles.
Those injured in rollover accidents and their families often need significant compensation after a crash
Because rollover accidents are so violent, individuals hurt in a crash are often left with catastrophic injuries or permanent disabilities. Our Columbus rollover accident attorneys help injured individuals recover compensation from the negligent driver who caused the crash. Significant financial help is needed to deal with the myriad costs of a rollover accident, such as:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Physical and vocational rehabilitation
- Lost income and diminished earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability
- Permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Loss in quality of life
Families who lost a loved one in a rollover accident can recover the following types of damages:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Loss of support
- Loss of services
- Loss of society
- Loss of inheritance
- Mental anguish
Our Columbus Rollover Accident Attorneys Can Help You After a Rollover Crash in Ohio
Rollover accidents are complex events. Part of our job as personal injury attorneys involves understanding how the crash occurred, reconstructing it, and gathering the evidence that proves who was at fault so we can hold them accountable for their negligence. We also invest significant time and effort into understanding your injuries and building a strong case that documents how much financial assistance you will need and what is a fair amount given the circumstances. These steps are essential to securing a full and fair amount of compensation after a rollover crash.
Call Brian G. Miller Co., L.P.A. Columbus Rollover Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a rollover accident in Columbus, Worthington or throughout Central or Southern Ohio, call Brian G. Miller Co., L.P.A. at 614-221-4035 to discuss your claim with an experienced and dedicated Columbus rollover accident lawyer.