In a rollover accident, a vehicle literally turns over onto its side or back. Not surprisingly, safety researchers consider vehicle rollovers one of the most dangerous types of accident. In a rollover, occupants are violently thrown around the inside of the vehicle, causing head and spinal injuries or exposing them to puncture wounds from deformed metal and glass. Rollovers are also more likely to throw occupants from vehicles, exposing them to brain injuries. And rollovers can make it harder to get out of a vehicle that catches fire. According to the federal Department of Transportation, rollovers caused 33% of all traffic fatalities in 2004.

Rollover accidents began to make the news in the late 1990s, when sport-utility vehicles became popular. Though any type of vehicle can roll over, SUVs, some pickup trucks and 15-passenger vans are particularly likely to roll over because of their higher centers of gravity. According to federal statistics, 33% of all fatal accidents with SUVs and 27% of fatal accidents with pickup trucks involved a rollover, compared to just 16% for cars. The problem is compounded by weak federal roof crush standards for SUVs and pickups, which are both classified as “light trucks” with lower safety standards than cars -- even though they perform the same duties. And because of defects with the vehicles’ weight, center of gravity and tires, many of these rollovers are single-vehicle accidents triggered by normal driving maneuvers, such as a sharp turn.

The danger is even greater on vehicles equipped with unsafe, defective tires. You may recall the massive Bridgestone/Firestone tire recall of 2000. Federal regulators and safety advocates received repeated reports of tire tread simply peeling off these tires while they were in use, leading to numerous accidents and 60 to 120 reported deaths. The tire tread separations were particularly dangerous on SUVs, which tended to roll over after a blowout. After finding that the tires were defective, the federal government and manufacturers recalled 3.85 million tires with these serious safety flaws. Though regulators believe the vast majority of the defective tires were recalled, a few linger -- and other tire defects can make drivers just as vulnerable to a serious rollover.  As with all manufacturers, vehicle and car parts manufacturers are strictly liable for serious safety flaws in their products.

Balliro is proud to represent Floridians in rollover cases caused by manufacturers’ negligence. Our Fort Lauderdale vehicle rollover attorneys will fully investigate rollover accidents to determine whether, and to what degree, negligence by a manufacturer played a part in creating or worsening the crash. We also represent people who were hurt by the carelessness of another motorist, which is unfortunately far more common. Rollover accident cases can be very complex because they deal with very serious injuries and very high financial claims. Our Miami-Dade rollover accident lawyers have the skills and experience to properly value these claims -- and the tenacity to ensure that our clients get the best settlements possible. That includes compensation for all of the past and future costs and lost income caused by the crash, as well as compensation for their injuries, physical pain and emotional suffering.

If you believe your Florida rollover crash was caused by the negligence of a manufacturer or a driver who wasn’t paying attention to safety, you should call Balliro right away. To set up a free, no-obligation consultation, please call us toll-free from anywhere within Florida at 1-866-INJURED or contact us through our Web site.