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| SUV Rollovers › SUV Rollovers › Double Lane-Change SUV Rollover › Low Speed SUV Rollover › Suzuki Samurai Rollover › Defective Tires › Ford Explorer Rollover / Firestone Tire Failure › Roof Crush SUV Rollovers Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have a greater tendency to roll over during foreseeable accident collisions compared to regular sedan passenger cars. An SUV rollover accident is more likely to occur because SUVs have a higher center of gravity. SUVs are often taller than regular passenger cars, but not much wider at the wheelbase. A sudden maneuver that would not pose a roll over risk to a regular sedan passenger car can cause an SUV rollover accident. SUV rollovers are particularly likely to result in fatalities, particularly if any occupants were not wearing a seatbelt. During an SUV rollover, occupants can be thrown from the vehicle and severely injured or killed. SUV rollovers can also cause roof crush, which is addressed below. Some make and model years have a higher propensity to roll over than other make and model years. Because they don't want to pay compensation for personal injury or wrongful death, manufacturers aggressively defend SUV rollover accident cases and often attempt to blame the driver or some other party for the injuries. If you have any questions about SUV rollover lawsuits or if you have been in a rollover accident, please contact the SUV rollover lawyers at John H. Carney & Associates. Their SUV rollover lawyers can help advise you if a lawsuit should be pursued. Double Lane-Change SUV Rollover An evasive maneuver triggered this rollover of a small SUV. The driver turned from the left hand lane into the right hand lane to avoid the car in front of him, then he turned back into the left hand lane. This classic double lane change maneuver was too much for the physics of the vehicle, the design of which features a short wheelbase. The driver was unable to maintain control, and even though he was driving the speed limit and wearing his seat belt, he suffered fatal injuries when the SUV rolled over. His passenger survived but sustained permanent injuries. This SUV rollover lawsuit is currently in litigation. If you are interested in learning more about SUV rollover lawsuits, contact the attorneys of John H. Carney & Associates. Low Speed SUV Rollover Low-speed side impacts do not usually result in a rollover, but they can for small SUVs with narrow track widths and short wheelbases. This SUV rollover occurred when the driver was side impacted at low speed. Our client was driving her two-door Geo Tracker at or near the posted speed limit of 35 m.p.h. when a car that had come to a complete stop pulled out and struck her on the passenger side. The impact caused the Tracker to spin clock-wise and roll over. Despite being belted, our client was ejected and sustained very serious, permanently disabling injuries. This case resolved shortly before trial and the terms and conditions are confidential. If you are interested in learning more about SUV rollover lawsuits, contact our auto accident lawyers today. Suzuki Samurai Rollover First introduced in the US in 1986, the Suzuki Samurai was marketed as a light sports utility vehicle. Due to its relatively high center of gravity and small wheelbase, the Suzuki Samurai was reported to have a tendency to roll over. While Suzuki rigorously refutes the results, in 1988 Consumer Reports published tests alleging that the Samurai was unsafe due to rollover concerns. There have been a number of Suzuki Samurai rollovers in the years since the report came out, and there have also been quite a few deaths. Many civil lawsuits have been filed, some of which have been settled by the Japanese automaker. The Suzuki Sidekick, a similar light SUV with a slightly wider wheelbase, has since replaced the Samurai. Also marketed as the Suzuki Grand Vitara, GEO Tracker, and Chevy Tracker, the Sidekick reportedly has better handling than its predecessor. However, like most light SUVs , the sidekick is still susceptible to rollover. If you or someone you know was involved in a Suzuki Samurai rollover, Contact our auto accident and SUV rollover attorneys today! Defective Tires While tire tread separation can occur due to heavy wear, over or under-inflation, and other outside factors, sometimes tread separation is caused by design or manufacturing defects. When the tread separates away from a tire, the operator often experiences the sensation of a "blow-out". Sometimes, the tire actually remains inflated, but the operator still loses control of the vehicle. Tread separations have been reported at speeds as low as 20 m.p.h. The U.S. government has reported at least two (2) occasions where the separated tread wrapped around the rear axle and locked up the wheels. Tread separation can cause a serious car accident. It is especially dangerous with sports utility vehicles, like the Ford Explorer, because their higher centers of gravity can make them more difficult to control - often times causing a rollover accident. If you have questions about defective tires or lawsuits pertaining to them, feel free to contact the SUV rollover attorneys at John H. Carney & Associates. Ford Explorer Rollover / Firestone Tire Failure Firestone has recalled over 14 million ATX, ATX II and Wilderness AT tires after it was revealed that these tires had a serious manufacturing defect. The tires manufactured at one specific plant were found to have a propensity for tread separation. These tire models were originally equipped on various Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Nissan and Subaru vehicles. The Ford Explorer, which came standard with Firestone tires, was implicated in a number of reports that detailed its disproportionate representation in fatal SUV rollover statistics. Ford conducted an investigation and determined that the Firestone tires were defective, not the design of the Explorer SUV. Firestone/Bridgestone denied that its tires are solely to blame, claiming that the Ford Explorer was unstable and prone to rollovers. An independent test gave the Ford Explorer two stars out of five for its rollover resistance rating. The photo to your right illustrates a Firestone tire failure that occurred while the operator was driving on a straight, dry highway near the posted speed limit of 55 m.p.h. If you want to learn more details about the Firestone Tire recall, including the specific model numbers and model years that were recalled, contact us today. Our lawyers have experience with defective tire lawsuits. Roof Crush In the unfortunate event of a rollover accident, a strong roof or roll bar is necessary to maintain the occupant's survival space, so that when the roof hits the ground, intrusion or collapse of the roof will be limited. Manufacturers recognize that rollover accidents do occur, but a vehicle's roof may not have been designed or constructed to be of sufficient strength to remain intact upon rollover. Tragically, the end result can be serious head or neck injuries. The higher centers of gravity in SUVs make them more likely to be involved in rollover accidents, and the occupants are more likely to sustain injuries from roof crush. The SUV pictured rolled over onto its roof after taking a side-impact at low speed. Despite rolling over only one-half turn, the metal pillar supporting the roof at the front windshield (the A pillar) deformed downward. Due to roof crush, the occupant sustained serious injuries to the head and neck. If you have a question about roof crush and SUV rollovers, please feel free to contact the SUV rollover accident lawyers at John H. Carney & Associates. | |
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