SUV Rollovers and Accident Litigation

In recent years, in response to the increasing popularity of sports utility vehicles, or SUVs, automobile manufacturers have been working toward improving the designs of these convenient and powerful, but sometimes dangerous, modes of transportation. At the beginning of the decade, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics, SUVs were involved in 36 percent of the rollover-related deaths in the United States, more than any other type of vehicle.

During the 90s, more than 12,000 people died in SUV rollovers, many of which were the result of the high centers of gravity that represent the vehicle’s most significant design flaw. To counteract this flaw, manufacturers have introduced a new breed of SUVs with lower centers of gravity and held to more stringent standards of crashworthiness. Nevertheless, as recently as 2004, there were 2,821 deaths due to SUV rollover, according to the NHTSA.

SUV Rollovers and Product Liability Law

Given the large number of older model SUVs still on the road, it could be years before improved safety standards for the manufacture of SUVs results in a substantial decrease in rollover-related deaths. Fortunately, victims of SUV rollovers and their families have the right to seek compensation from the manufacturers of the vehicles under the doctrine of product liability.

Because the dangerous flaws in SUVs are inherent in the design of the vehicle, there is no need to present evidence of a specific act of negligence on the part of the manufacturer; negligence is evident in the flaw itself. In the event of an SUV rollover that results in serious injury or death, victims or their surviving family members may be entitled to compensation for a variety of losses and expenses, including loss of present and future income, loss of companionship, medical and funereal expenses, the cost of rehabilitation, and pain and suffering.

An SUV Rollover Attorney Can Help You

Of course, the automobile manufacturers are protected by experienced, high-priced lawyers whose primary responsibility is to defend their clients from having to absorb heavy financial damage. That’s why it’s important that, if you think you may have a viable legal claim stemming from an SUV rollover accident, you contact an attorney with experience handling complex automotive product liability cases.

The exclusive ImpactLaw network is comprised of lawyers with impressive histories of success in representing the catastrophically injured; we invite you to use the ImpactLaw directory to locate an SUV rollover accident attorney in your local area so that you can get the answers and guidance you need in this difficult time.